Just a Few Days
by AZ1087653
Summary: "I wonder who you are?" Kisa asked. "You look like a prince; a prince in a box. Not exactly where I expected to find someone, but I guess you'll be gone by tomorrow, so there's no harm in fantasizing." AU - Please read author's note for details of this story and its conception. T for language.
1. Prince in a Box

Hello everyone and welcome to a new story. I had an idea to write an Erotica story that follows the plot of a manga called Kimi Wa Petto (English title; Tramps Like Us). If you haven't read that story, then this one will seem new to you. If you have read that story, then this one will follow that plot on many levels. Kisa will still be working at Marukawa and Yukina will still be a college student in the art program.

That being said, this is definitely an alternate universe type story that is not a dream, such as my last chaptered story, not the series one-shots for various sets. Because I am putting the Erotica couple into a different story, be prepared for many of the issues to seem right out of the other series. I am making this story unique on a number of levels though. Hopefully people will enjoy it.

As per usual, with stories that are posted here, these characters are not owned by me. I also do not own the story to Kimi Wa Petto, or the related characters in that manga. I make no money and quite a few of the ideas are not mine. I will not differentiate between things that happen in Petto or those situations I create. If you do not recognize a character, then they are either an OC or a character from the Petto manga.

Here's a special shout-out to Risque Tendencies for being my beta-reader for this story, and most likely my future stories as well. I am crap when it comes to English writing sometimes because my fingers type too fast for my brain. Thanks a bunch!

/GG/

Just a Few Days

Prince in a Box

Big brown eyes stared daggers into the man sitting across from him. If looks could kill then that man would have been dead a hundred times over. Kisa Shouta didn't really care in that moment that he looked like a cobra snake about to strike an innocent mouse. This mouse was hardly innocent, sitting there as if nothing was wrong. In truth, the snake was the victim and the mouse was a dirty bastard. At least that's what Kisa thought.

Earlier that day Kisa had been transferred into the shoujo manga department of Marukawa, a dead-end position, because of the way he looked. Apparently his baby-face wasn't mature enough to be in charge of his own department, so he was demoted to underling to a man younger than him. True, he never did want his own department, but to be told he could never pull off being in charge because of his looks stung a little.

That had been the beginning of a downward spiral for the man. After moving into his new department and settling in, he'd received a text message from his boyfriend. Kisa looked forward to this meeting since he wanted someone to lend a sympathetic ear to his story. His lover was a good listener, especially for someone who wasn't as educated as he. In truth, the man was more like a pretty face whom Kisa was happy to fuck, but that fuck-buddy was definitely a staple that Kisa'd started relying on.

He needed that man now; he needed that man to listen and then pound his ass into the nearest love motel bed. Sex was always a good way to get over feeling like shit, and that's exactly how Kisa felt as he set up his desk. The pink motif his new boss, Takano Masamune, had picked out did nothing for his happiness.

Two hours later saw him sitting across from his ex-boyfriend of just a few moments and the girl said ex-boyfriend had knocked up at some point in their relationship. Kisa wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that he'd been sleeping with someone who had been screwing with someone else, or the fact that he'd been all but demoted at work.

His new ex had told Kisa that he didn't like feeling like a pedophile when he was younger than his lover. He also didn't feel comfortable being with someone who was more educated than he; thus having a better paying job. All in all, everything about Kisa had caused the man to cheat and end up in a family way.

This was a day that could hardly get any worse.

Lucky for him, it didn't.

_Five Months Later_

Kisa sat at his desk, reading over the storyboards from his mangaka. After finding his stride, he'd found out he was actually good at his new job. During that time he'd even become friendly enough with his co-workers to banter back and forth on a regular basis. His life had changed, maybe not for the better, but at least for the different.

After his last break-up, Kisa had decided to put all his effort into his new job. If he couldn't have the job he was qualified for, he would put all his effort into gaining the knowledge and experience necessary to become the best shoujo manga editor in the company, even in Tokyo. His efforts didn't go unnoticed by his boss, who occasionally complimented him, which was a rarity for the man.

As for his love-life, Kisa'd decided to not get into another long-term relationship. One-night stands were more than enough to take care of his over-active libido. Plus, there was no issue with being cheated on when all the relationship involved was sex but one time.

He'd decided that in order for a long-term relationship to take place the man would need to fit three qualifications. 1) Be as educated, or more so than him. 2) Have a better paying job than he did. 3) Be older than him. Kisa hadn't found anyone since his last relationship, so he wasn't even going to start looking.

That seemed to be the best thing to do as by not looking and focusing on work, Kisa found his life to be comfortable. Maybe not completely happy, but he was at least content. For the time being, that was enough for the editor.

"Kisa," Takano grumbled from the end of the desks. "Take these to Yamaguchi in the Josei Yuri department. They were sent down here by mistake."

Kisa looked at his boss with surprise on his face. Rarely did material from the Girl's Love department end up on their floor. Truth be told, that floor actually scared him a little, as the women who worked for that department were stone-cold, slave drivers. Even Isaka didn't like to enter that area for fear of having his cock and testicles ripped out by their demon editor-in-chief. She'd castrated a number of men in the department to the point where only women were willing to work for her. Not only was she gay, but she didn't like men in any capacity.

"Sure," Kisa said with an air of calm. Yamaguchi may have hated men, but he wasn't going to let that stop him.

Kisa made his way to the Girl's Love, for girls, department and kept his head as high as it would go. He was aware that everyone thought a little boy had wandered into the wrong department. The looks he received were rather degrading, but more of surprise. Kisa knew it was rare for men to venture into the lion's den.

He walked to the editor's desk and waited to be acknowledged. When she looked at him he was surprised to find her face to be a lot kinder than what the break-room talk had been. In his years with the company he'd never seen Yamaguchi, so he was surprised to see a girl with blond ringlets and a heart-shaped face. She smiled at him and nodded.

"Kisa-san, correct?" the woman asked.

"Yes, Yamaguchi-san, it's nice to meet you."

"Your boss said you were on your way up here, but I didn't expect one so young. Are you an intern?"

Kisa shook his head. "No, I'm a paid salary-man, just like most of the people in this company. I'm older than I look."

"Good to know, now what do you have for me?"

"Sorry," Kisa said as he handed the papers over to the woman.

She looked through the papers for a few moments before scowling. Kisa wanted to know if he could leave, but wasn't sure if there was something she needed to say to Takano, so he stood silently by while she hit her mobile and paged someone.

"Sorry, Kisa-san," she finally said. "I have something to send back with you since our incompetent mail-room staff can't read Kanji, but really need to speak with my replacement for a few moments before I grab the mail for you. Do you mind waiting for a few moments?"

The editor shook his head and stood back as he watched the department run like clock-work. This floor definitely had a different feel to it than the sales floor and the floor where his department was located. As the primary type of human running around were girls, he didn't really pay too much attention to the people as individuals, more as how they worked as a group. They had more of a camaraderie than most other departments.

In fact, that camaraderie ended up being the only thing that caught his eye until that beautiful man stepped out from behind a divider. Kisa was in shock at the face until he realized he actually recognized the man. It was his senpai, Murakami Kenichi, from when he was doing his internship with Marukawa. This was a man he'd been so enamored with, but unable to tell his feelings to. He felt as if there was no way he would ever get over him. When Murakami-senpai had left, that was that. But now he was standing in front of Kisa, in the flesh.

Kisa didn't say anything, he was too tongue tied. The other spoke up though.

"Kisa Shouta?"

A slight nod, followed by, "Yes, it's been a long time Murakami-senpai."

"Oh my word, I never thought to see you again, and looking so well, how are you?" Kenichi's eyes went wide and he smiled warmly.

"You two know one another?" Yamaguchi asked as she stood up from her desk for the first time since Kisa had stepped into her office.

"Kisa was my junior during our internship. I was transferred to our sister company in France because of my speaking ability, but I'd always thought he'd have gone off and become the chief editor somewhere else."

Shouta was too embarrassed to admit he'd been demoted on the eve of making such a dream come true, so he stayed silent. He was completely embarrassed to be gushed over as he was, especially by someone he used to masturbate to frequently when he was younger.

"Kisa, we need to get together and talk about what you've been up to for the past nine years. When are you free?"

This made Kisa feel even more uncomfortable than he had prior. How this man made him feel all weak at the knees was a mystery.

"I'm free this weekend, senpai," he answered softly.

Yamaguchi giggled, "Ken, he's cute. If I were into guys I'd totally snatch him up in a heartbeat."

This, of course, made Kisa blush further as he shied away. Gone was the confident man he'd been for five whole months, he was back to being the unconfident creature who had been with his ex. He accepted the papers from Yamaguchi, exchanged phone numbers with Murakami-senpai, and left as quickly as he could, head lowered.

Kisa'd completely forgotten about his desire to stay away from men because he knew Murakami-senpai fit all three of his requirements, and he was also someone Kisa knew from before. That meant that his age, or lack of looking his age, might not even be an issue as it had in the past. He wouldn't need to lie.

The sounds of Marukawa publishing became music to the soundtrack of his life as he made his way back to the Emerald department. Each click of a computer, each whoosh of the copy machine, every mobile ringtone; they all were accompanying his thoughts on how he'd just run into the perfect man for him. Kisa smiled as he sat down, earning stares from the other men in the department. He just ignored them and went about his work, looking forward to his 'date' in a few days.

/GG/

Work behind him for the evening, or early morning as it happened to be, Kisa drug himself home; half asleep. The remainder of the evening and into the early morning hours went by fast as his mind was on the upcoming weekend. He was so out of it while walking he crashed into a large box on the sidewalk and did a face-plant onto the ground.

"What in the hell?" he asked as he tried to stand up and see what he'd fallen over.

Kisa was in utter shock when he saw a box big enough to hold his person within it. He stood up and walked around the box, hoping against hope there were no living animals inside; or dead. Cautiously he reached his hand over and flipped open the lid. The top one came up with no problems, neither did the subsequent lids. He then looked inside the box and involuntarily sucked in a deep breath.

Lying in the box was a boy or a man, curled in a ball. From his vantage point he could tell the man had sandy-blond hair and earrings in the one showing ear. Not only that, but he was drop-dead gorgeous, even with the cuts on his face and blood oozing from those cuts.

The editor immediately looked up and searched for someone, anyone within his vicinity. For the first time in he could remember he was alone at the door to his apartment. He reached for his mobile, but stopped after feeling the plastic in his hand. If he called the police he'd have to spend the better part of the night trying to explain that he didn't have a clue what was going on. The boy didn't look too banged up, so if Kisa could get him up to his apartment, then he could clean him up. They could leave the police out of it and no one need report the issue to the papers.

But, how to get the guy up to his apartment? There was no way he could lift the man who easily had fifty pounds on him. Shouta bent down and started to drag the box to his apartment.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he hissed as he pulled the box.

It took him almost an hour to get that box into his apartment. By the time he was there, he needed a bath to get rid of the sweat covering his body. There was no way he was going to get the boy in the box onto his sofa, so he'd just have to leave the guy on the floor. Shouta started to use his scissors to cut the box and free the man from its grasp. Once the box was cut away he got a good look at just how tall the other was.

"Wow, you're tall," Kisa said with a whistle. He ran to the kitchen and grabbed a bowl and washcloth. The cuts on the boy's face looked superficial, but that was only from what he could see, underneath could have been much worse.

The editor blushed when he realized he'd need to check the boy all over, which meant he'd need to look at parts of him that were inappropriate for others to gaze at. He'd need to put the thoughts out of his head if he wanted to keep from jumping the boy's bones the minute he woke up. Provided the boy was into other men, there was senpai to think about too, which meant that the kid was off limits.

"I'm sorry to have to clean you when you are incapacitated, but I can promise you that you have nothing under your clothes I haven't seen before."

The boy moaned slightly and snored softly. Kisa placed a hand on the other's face and brushed the hair out of his closed eyes. "You really are beautiful," he said softly.

He spent the better part of two hours cleaning off the heavenly body that lay before him. Kisa made sure not to dawdle on parts of the anatomy, but did a once over to make sure there were no other outward appearing scars. Once the boy was wrapped up and resting comfortably on the floor, he was able to sit back and look over his handy work. There was a man in his apartment, sleeping on the floor with his pillow and blanket, and it wasn't someone he'd just fooled around with. That had to be a first.

"I wonder who you are?" Kisa asked. "You look like a prince; a prince in a box. Not exactly where I expected to find someone, but I guess you'll be gone by tomorrow, so there's no harm in fantasizing."

Kisa smiled down at the boy and pulled out a second blanket and pillow for him to sleep. He still had to get up and work the next morning, whether there was a boy in his apartment or not.


	2. Better than Expected

Here is the second chapter in this crazy work of a story I am writing. I hope people are enjoying my little piece of insanity. I wanted to put out the warning that since Kisa and Yukina are living out the lives of two completely different characters, they may seem OOC at times. I don't like to write characters to out of the ordinary, so I am doing my best, but not everyone can get a character to play another and be originally spot on, so forgive me if I have butchered them beyond recognition.

Thanks again to Risque Tendencies for reading this and making sure I don't muck up the English language too much. I also wanted to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, alerted, or any combination of the aforementioned. I appreciate people are checking my stuff out.

/GG/

Just a Few Days

Better Than Expected

Kisa allowed himself some time to wake up nice and slow. It had been a long time since he'd slept so well. He was sure it was because of his upcoming date with Murakami-senpai. The idea had him so excited he'd all but wore himself out. With his eyes closed he was able to visualize the man and that brought a smile to his face.

Calmly, he opened his eyes only to see a big pair of big brown eyes, staring at him from just a few inches away. Kisa's eyes shot open and he flew back, falling out of the bed and landing on the floor in an unceremonious pile. The boy cocked his head and then reached out to help Kisa to his feet.

"You're finally awake!" the boy said with a smile. "I've been waiting for a while. You looked so peaceful, I couldn't wake you." The smile was enough to make Kisa's heart melt.

"I-I-I thought you'd wake up and just leave," Kisa stammered. He was used to his one-night stands up and leaving before he'd roused, so waking up with someone else in his apartment was quite a shock as of late.

The boy shook his head. "No can do. That would have been rude," he said, with another grin. "You took care of me, so I couldn't just leave now could I?"

Kisa nodded; the boy was correct. "I appreciate the gesture, but you can leave now, it's okay. I am sure you have more important things to do." Kisa stood up and started for his bathroom.

"Not really." The reply was followed by a big yawn as the prince-like boy stretched and sprawled out on the floor like Kisa's dog Kiiro-chan used to do.

"But you can't just stay here, I have to go to work," Kisa stated as he gathered his clothes for the upcoming workday.

He watched the boy out of the corner of his eye. Mentioning that he had to leave caused the younger man to fold in on himself a little, but then the same shimmering aura appeared that seemed to follow him around. This guy looked just like one of the hero-type characters in the mangas he edited.

"What's your name?" the boy asked, sitting on his haunches.

Kisa raised his eyebrows before mumbling, "Kisa, Kisa Shouta."

"Hmmm." A look of contemplation came onto the young man's face. "How old are you?"

"Are you writing a book?" Kisa asked, annoyed.

The other grinned. "No, I want to know what I should call you. I am sure you are around my age, but I don't want to call you Shouta-kun if you are actually older than I am."

Kisa blushed as he realized the kid probably thought he was a high school boy. It always made him grimace when he had to tell people he was actually 30.

"I'm 30," he said shyly.

The kid fell onto his backside and then sat on his knees moments later. "You're how old?"

Kisa walked over to his wallet and produced his identification card. He didn't have a car, but, because of his young-looking physique, he'd gotten his driver's license to make sure he had proof of his age when necessary.

"Wow! You're so old!"

"Thanks," Kisa said in a hushed, yet scandalized tone.

"I didn't mean that in a bad way Kisa-san, but you don't look like you are out of high school yet."

'_Story of my life,' _He thought. '_When is this kid going to leave and why does he remind me of Kiiro-chan?'_

Kisa watched as the boy knelt down on all fours and stared at the picture with stars in his eyes. Then it hit him; the boy reminded him of his dog because of how he was moving about. He had lied on his back like Kiiro-chan had when he wanted a belly rub, sat on his back haunches as if waiting for a puppy treat, and was now on four legs like when his dog had been searching for something.

"What do you do, Kisa-san?"

The question brought the editor out of his remembrances and into the present where a boy was acting like a dog and begging for attention.

"I edit manga at Marukawa," he replied as he shut the door to his bathroom and started his morning routine. The kid would get bored and leave if he ignored him, just like a dog he assumed.

Twenty minutes later Kisa exited his bathroom and just about dropped his sleep clothes. The boy hadn't just left like he'd thought, instead he'd propped himself up on a pillow and was watching television.

"What kind of dog are you?" Kisa asked before thinking. "You shouldn't just make yourself at home in someone else's house."

"I was waiting for you, Kisa-san. Doesn't a dog do that too?"

Kisa shook his head. "You aren't a dog, why are you calling yourself one?"

"You said it first," came the matter-of-fact answer.

This made Kisa pause and try to remember his last few minutes. He was right, the first time the word dog had been used was when he himself had said it.

"Be that as it may, why are you still here?"

The boy lowered his head momentarily and said rather sadly, "I have nowhere else to go right now."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm a dog without a home right now."

It made Shouta feel for the boy, but he had his own life to worry about. Still, he was curious as to where the kid had come from and what he was doing. Another burning question was why he had been beaten up and lying in a box at his doorstep.

"You're not a dog," Kisa reiterated. "Obviously you have been well taken care of, so there must have been someplace you had lived."

"I did, but that place is no longer somewhere I can go," he said softly. "I want to stay here with you, Kisa-san."

Kisa Shouta felt his heart flop in his chest like a landed fish. He'd never even considered having a pet, let alone a roommate. The place wasn't all that big and they'd have to sleep in the same room every night.

"I don't want a roommate."

The boy crawled along the floor and sat back on his hind end again, looking upward eagerly. "I don't have to be a roommate. You called me a dog, so I can be your dog."

If Kisa'd had a drink in his hand with liquid in his mouth he'd have done a spit-take. He sat down hard on the bed with a look of confusion laced on his brow. The sound of the apartment became deafening and overpowered his senses. This kid was obviously a little mentally absent if he was willing to be treated like a pet.

"Are you thick?"

"No, but I like Kisa-san, so I wouldn't mind being his pet for a while!" the boy said jovially as he scooted closer and offered his hand like a dog wanting to shake.

The editor didn't quite know what to say. He really wanted the boy to leave, so he decided to play along and degrade the kid enough to make him want to leave.

"Okay," Kisa said as he batted the hand away and stood up. He started pacing and gave a thoughtful glance downward. "You won't have any rights as a pet. You'll sleep on a blanket on the floor at the foot of the bed and eat what I put out for you. I expect you to use the bathroom like a well trained canine and, if necessary, you will take punishment." _If that didn't scare the kid away, then Kisa didn't know what would._

He wasn't quite prepared for what happened next.

"Okay, master."

The boy bounded over to Kisa's feet and rubbed against his leg. Kisa, instinctively, reached out and rubbed the boy's head. He couldn't think at the moment, at least not coherently. His conscious was arguing that it was a bad idea to allow the boy to stay, but the feel of the boy's hair between his fingers was enough to make him want to keep the kid. He couldn't think of him as boy or kid though; the guy had to have a name.

"What's your name?" Kisa asked absentmindedly as he continued to rub his fingers in the other's hair.

"Why don't you name me; that's how it's done after all."

True enough, usually the owner named a pet. The only name Kisa could come up with was Kiiro-chan. No other name would work for a pet of Kisa's.

"Kiiro-chan," he stated. "Your name is Kiiro-chan."

Kiiro-chan cocked his head to one side for a moment as if to contemplate the idea of the new name. "Where did you come up with the name?" he asked after a time.

"I had a dog when I was younger; a yellow lab. I guess we named him based on his coat color. Not very imaginative and all, but a four year old kid probably didn't have much of an imagination anyway."

The boy grinned and rubbed against Kisa's leg again. "I like it."

Kisa watched as his new pet sparkled like a fairy. What had he gotten himself into?

/GG/

Work was in the process of becoming a living being that Kisa wanted to throw off a bridge. Hell Week had turned into Hell Month. In addition, his mind kept wandering to his flat, where his new pet was supposedly waiting his return. After no uncertain amount of petting, Kiiro-chan had finally allowed the editor to leave Kisa and had managed to make it to work on time.

On the one hand regarding his new pet, he was worried Kiiro-chan would be gone when he returned, along with everything he owned. The other hand had him worried the guy would still be there. What in the hell was he supposed to do with a pet, or a man parading around as a pet? It had to be illegal, what he was doing to the boy. If Kiiro-chan hadn't insisted on being a pet then it would have been easier to kick him out.

It would have also been easier to kick the pet out had he not been so beautiful. Kisa knew his adoration of beautiful faces would fuck him over but good one day. That day was obviously the one in which Kiiro-chan had been dropped in his lap.

The editor reached for his mobile, intent on calling the kid in his apartment.

"Kisa!"

Slightly startled, Kisa sat up straight and looked at the editor-in-chief.

"Yes, Takano-san?" he asked seriously.

"Murakami Kenichi from the Girl's Love department needs to see you."

Kisa's eyes shone wide at the prospect of seeing his senpai again. Inside, he was jumping for joy, but outside he kept a composed look about him so as not to arouse suspicion. Though, with Takano, who was actively pursuing the new underling in their department, he was sure the man knew something was up. There was no reason for the Girl's Love department head to request someone like Kisa.

"On your way back I want you to drop by sales and speak with Yokozawa about your newest volume. Try and talk that idiot into picking up more copies so we don't end up in the hole like last time."

"But, sir…"

"You wanted to beef up your knowledge, so the next step would be learning more about sales. I know you think this company has fucked you over, and it probably has, so you need to fight back and let them know that you are not incompetent."

Kisa knew that Takano was trying to build up his confidence. It was spoken in a blunt way, but it was the truth. Kisa wasn't incompetent and he knew his stuff. So it probably was important for him to learn about the sales department.

"Yes, sir." Kisa bowed slightly and walked off. Each step he took brought him closer to seeing his senpai again.

/GG/

The manga editor was stopped at the elevator as he waited for it to come up to the fourth floor from the sales floor. Mino was hopping into the elevator as well, heading down to the first floor to meet up with his wife and their three kids. Kisa was envious of the happiness that man had and smiled as Mino nodded. If the other hadn't been on the phone, the two men would have started up a conversation. So Kisa started to daydream instead.

In his head he was having a fictitious conversation with his senpai at the coffee shop he was hoping they'd stop by on the way to wherever it was senpai had wanted to go. The inner dialog put a smile on his face as he stepped into the elevator and headed to the second floor. Just a few more minutes and he could see the real person, and not the vision that had been etched into his brain.

After the short ride downward he'd had no less than half a dozen ideas pop into his head, all random thoughts about what he wanted to do with his senpai. First and foremost happened to be sex. The very idea of kissing those sensual lips and having his sempai's cock deep within him sent shivers down his spine and he immediately slapped his face to avoid any embarrassing displays.

"Now is not the time. I don't even know if senpai likes guys," he said out loud, forgetting that Mino was also in the elevator. "I mean…" He looked at his companion sheepishly.

"Kisa, I know that you like this guy; everyone can see it on your face. I wish you the best of luck," Mino said as he clapped the other's back and all but shoved him out of the elevator.

Kisa wasn't quite sure what was more embarrassing; the fact that Mino and other people seemed to know of his infatuation, or that he did a face plant into his senpai's chest when he was knocked out of the elevator.

After he got his bearings, and saw who he'd run into, he about had a heart attack and started mumbling gibberish that no one in their right mind would have understood.

"Kisa, slow down," Kenichi said with a jovial laugh. The baritone of the man's voice resonated within Kisa's head as he turned beet red. Butterflies he hadn't been aware of were fluttering around his nerves, making him feel very uncomfortable. "I was on my way to catch you. Please, come with me for a moment."

Senpai put his hand on the small of Kisa's back, which made him shiver slightly, and maneuvered him through the department to a vacant conference room at the end of the way. The editor was given a chair and Murakami disappeared for a few moments before returning with a girl from the Girl's Love department.

"Kisa, this is Fukushima Shiori," he indicated the other. Kisa nodded. "Fukushima, this is Kisa Shouta." The girl nodded and sat down next to Kisa. "I brought you here because you have a common mangaka I want to discuss."

"How can we have a common mangaka, doesn't he work in a completely different department?" Fukushima asked.

"Yes, he works for the shoujo manga department, Emerald, while you work for the Girl's Love department. I guess we're going to start calling it Amethyst, right?" he asked before just barreling on. "Anyway, the mangaka for Kisa's manga, Summer Rain, and the mangaka for Fukushima's manga, Poison Arrow, is one *AND* the same; she just uses a different pen name."

Kisa could have sweat dropped upon hearing this news. Summer Rain was the most girlie thing ever written while Poison Arrow was hardcore yuri; no one would have ever thought the same mangaka had written both. Based on Fukushima's reaction, she too didn't know that the mangaka was the same for both series. Her eyes were wide with confusion.

"The reason I wanted to see you both is that she has decided to cut down to one manga and is going to choose based on how well the editor works," he continued, then looked over at Kisa. "I've already spoken with Takano about this issue. He told me I could take the reins of this project, even though it does involve the Emerald department as well. He also told me that you, Kisa, are more than capable to handle not being micromanaged. So I am going to leave it to the two of you to edit both mangas this time around. The mangaka will read over the corrections from both and then decide which editor and manga to continue with and which will need to go."

Kisa internally vomited at the prospect of reading the overly-graphic Poison Arrow series. Just the idea of watching two girls eat each other out made him want to pass out. Something about that just didn't sit right with him.

"You are free to leave, Fukushima, but hold on for a moment Kisa." Murakami walked out for a moment, followed by the yuri editor, who turned and glared at Kisa before exiting. The man returned and addressed Shouta. "I have tickets to the ballet this Saturday, are you okay with accompanying me? I'll understand if it's not your thing."

Kisa looked at his senpai and nodded. As he did so, he noticed Fukushima scowling at him and shaking her head no in the window before she walked off. He sensed a little bit of dread in that imposing look, but ignored it in favor of accepting his senpai's offer. No, ballet wasn't really his thing, but being with the slightly older and utterly gorgeous man was.

"Sure Murakami-senpai, I would be happy to go with you."

The older man clapped Kisa on the back with a toothy grin. "Great, it's a date! I'll pick you up around three; we can get a bite and chat before the opening."

Kisa nodded and blushed. Only a day since running into the man again and already he had a date. The day may have started out odd, but it was sure shaping up to be much better than expected.


	3. Visions of His Master

Hello, and welcome back. I am thrilled to see so many people enjoying this story. Since this story has been completely written and corrected by the lovely Risque Tendencies, I will be posting every week. Think of it as a countdown till I get to return to America to work on school again.

Thanks for dropping by.

/GG/

Just a Few Days

Visions of His Master

Yukina Kou, aka Kiiro-chan, walked down the street toward the university. He had class, followed by work, and then he needed to get home before Kisa-san so he could get a bath. That was his favorite time of the day; bath time. It always made him giggle when he saw Kisa-san dressed up in a smock with dark tinted glasses when he bathed Kiiro-chan.

In truth, he'd never felt so comfortable with another man in that capacity. Kisa-san was growing on him, even if the man had no clue about Yukina Kou; he was more than happy to remain Kiiro-chan for the editor. He'd already been living with the man for three days, not counting the day when he met Kisa-san. Well, not quite met, since he was knocked out at the time. Yukina was counting the three nights he'd spent after that initial one, in which he'd done everything in his power to get the other man to pay attention to him.

Sadly, at least for the pet, Kisa had been more interested in gushing about his senpai and how they were getting together for a date on Saturday. Yukina didn't like it; what pet would like it when his master was paying more attention to someone else? Within a short amount of time, the college student had become insanely jealous of a man he'd never met before. And it wasn't just the type of jealousy that one friend had for another, no; he was feeling things for his master that transcended the proper caste system. Yukina could see himself falling in love with the man, even though he'd never considered a man before in his life.

He could never admit that to Kisa-san though, after all he was only a pet in the older man's eyes. But what did a pet do when it became jealous or lonely? It begged for attention, that's what. Yukina wasn't one for lowering himself in the hierarchy of life, but for some reason he was willing to be completely submissive for Kisa-san. That included being a pet, and doing what a pet would do to scare off any potential distractions.

Yukina'd learned a lot about the man he was living with in such a short amount of time. Kisa would come home and speak to him like anyone would a pet; he would tell him everything. So, in three short days, he'd found out that his master'd had a failed relationship that ended with the other cheating. He'd also discovered that, because of the issue, Kisa-san had let his lack of self-esteem lead him down a path of destruction. Said destruction had been to sleep with whoever had a cock hanging between their legs. Multiple one night stands by someone who had already been at the bottom of the barrel hadn't done anything to boost the man's confidence.

In addition to the slutty behavior, Kisa-san had been demoted at work. And while that had actually been a blessing in disguise for the editor, it had been an accomplice in lowering the man's self-esteem further than it had been before. Yukina had began to wish he'd met the man before, to keep him from hurting himself as he had done, but, since the past cannot be changed, Yukina had vowed to lift the man from his depression. If only he could get the man to see he was actually depressed.

"Kou!"

Yukina glanced up to see Kojima Rio, one of his best friends, running toward him with a roll of fabric in her arms. The sight was rather comical and he almost thought she'd fall flat on her face, but she made it to his side unscathed.

"Kou, I haven't seen you in a week, but I've been hearing rumors that you've shacked up with someone. Who is she?"

Yukina laughed. "I haven't shacked up with anyone, there is no sex involved in this relationship. I'm his pet," he stated like it was no big deal.

Rio halted at the comment and stared at her friend as he continued on for a few more feet before stopping himself.

"Is something the matter?"

"You are a pet, like a dog or..?" Rio started with a worried expression on her face. "Please tell me it's a figure of speech."

"No, I am, literally, his pet. He feeds me, bathes me, pets me, and lets me stay in his apartment at no cost."

Yukina watched as his friend's face turned dark and her eyes clouded over. For a moment he was worried she might hit him upside the head, but she didn't.

"What person in their right mind would allow another to become their pet?" she seethed. It wasn't that she didn't trust her friend, but she'd be damned if someone else took advantage of Yukina's generosity. The last time that had happened he'd ended up losing most of his money as well as losing his scholarship for the term.

"Kisa-san's not like that, he's a good guy. He wouldn't take my money from me."

"How do you know? How much can you know about this guy after just a few days?"

'_More than you know_.' Kou thought with a smile.

"Promise me, Kou," she pleaded softly. "Don't give up on the opportunity to host your own art show. You've worked so hard and you were picked out of a bunch of other people. Please, do your show and don't let someone come between you and your dream again."

Yukina lowered his gaze as he recalled the last relationship he'd had. Yes, it had ended with him being rather destitute, which was why he'd needed to take a job at the bookstore, but he'd worked hard and it showed. He wasn't going to let his adoration of Kisa-san stop him from the junior term art show. He'd missed both the freshman and sophomore term because of money issues, but this time he was going to succeed.

"I promise. I have been working non-stop for this art show and it's going to happen next week whether my new master wants it to or not!"

Kou radiated an aura of excitement as he and his friend walked toward the arts building. Deep down, he was hoping to give a ticket to Kisa-san so the man could attend the art show. The very idea of Kisa-san looking at his art elated the college student to the point where he found himself getting turned on. He knew that by the time they reached the building he'd need to leave Rio and find a place to jack off. He'd been doing that a lot lately; all to visions of his master.

"You going to tell me why you have those scratches on your face, Kou, or do I have to guess?"

Yukina had been hoping no one would mention the cuts that adorned his face because he was totally a lover, not a fighter. Of course when it came to certain things he would always fight. Kisa-san was one who may be worth fighting for.

"Let's just say that when the money stopped I was tracked down by the devil in a dress." He'd hoped to leave it at that, but he knew that Rio would never let it go.

She spun around with daggers in her eyes; sometimes she really did scare him.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You date that tramp, she pretends to be pregnant, you support her while she is pretending, she finally comes clean, and now she comes after you because you are not in need of supporting her anymore? You went to the cops, right?"

Yukina shook his head, waiting for her to smash him into the pavement. It never came; she, instead looked like she was going to cry.

"Yukina Kou, so help me god if I ever see her face again I am going to mangle it beyond recognition, as well as everyone else who knows you."

"I didn't see her brother and his friends coming until it was too late. I ran after getting in a few good knocks; then I hid in a box. I passed out afterward and woke up in my master's house. That's all there is to it." He knew that it was rather pathetic of him, but it was in the past. "I won't let anything like that happen again, I can promise you."

Rio nodded since there was nothing else she could do. She adored her friend, but what he did with his life was his own business. Yukina wasn't stupid, just too nice. Such individuals were taken advantage of quite a bit.

That was the end of the conversation. Yukina walked into his building and to the art room. He had quite a bit to take care of before he could head home and wait like an obedient little pet. What really thrilled him in all of this wasn't that he'd found someone who he looked forward to seeing every day, but that this someone looked forward to Yukina; even if Yukina wasn't quite himself.

/GG/

Kisa was glad it was Friday; that meant his date with senpai was the following day. He was thrilled and had no problem letting his co-workers know. What's more, he knew that when he got home he had someone he could talk to about it, even if that someone didn't really answer back all that much. Having a pet was fun, he'd decided, because he could be himself. He didn't know when it happened, but over the course of just seventy-two short hours he'd become so used to the other man living with him, even if he had to bathe the boy every now and then.

The editor sat in the new Amethyst department looking through the newest volume of Poison Arrow. Three times he'd had to put the thing away because of the overly graphic scenes depicted in the pictures. Kisa had no problems admitting his sexuality; he preferred men, so it was difficult to stomach seeing the girls eating rug like a child eats ice cream. During the little breaks he'd look at his own work, Summer Rain, and edit the pages with ease. After a while he decided it would be better to take the rest of Poison Arrow home and work on it there so Fukushima and her entourage couldn't see him cringe and comment every single time.

"Looks like the guy can't handle pussy sucking," Fukushima giggled after a short while as she winked at Murakami. "I don't think he's going to be able to finish."

This caused a slight laugh amongst her peers, but Murakami didn't look too impressed.

"Some men are not like others. Not every man in the world thinks two girls fucking and sucking each other off is erotic. I personally prefer the works from the Sapphire department myself," Murakami stated with a raised brow.

At this piece of information Kisa could feel his face turn red and he did his best to continue working on his current work. He didn't know if that meant the date was an actual date or if it was wishful thinking on his part. Admitting one liked the books from the boy's love department usually meant they had some sort of homosexual preferences. Deep down he hoped that this piece of news meant that he had a chance with Murakami.

"What kind of guy do you go for then?" Fukushima asked, feigning innocence.

"Guy or girl doesn't really matter to me, I am more interested in someone I can talk to, but this is hardly a conversation for the workplace. While I'm gone, please find another topic to discuss." With that he stood up and left.

Kisa didn't want to be left alone with the vultures of the Amethyst department. It was bad enough they did what they could to make him feel incompetent, but another to have a rival. He recognized it immediately; Fukushima was interested in Murakami as well. While that may not have been an issue in many places, in Japan where parents wanted grandchildren, he knew he'd be at a disadvantage since he couldn't provide them.

That wasn't going to stop him from looking for the positive. It had been him Murakami asked out, not Fukushima. He stole a glance her way only to find her glaring at him. She then returned to speaking to her friends about how she had intentions of pursuing him for a serious relationship because he was just the type of person she had intended to find when she became a working woman.

"I also know that any good Japanese son will give up being homosexual to bring his family honor, so, even if he is gay, I have a better chance than someone else who has that type of pastime."

The comment was completely aimed at him and Kisa knew it. Rather than suffer any more humiliation he excused himself and let the girls continue on with their talking. He knew they were just egging him on and he didn't want to stick around long enough to have anyone continue passively aggressively attacking his personal lifestyle. It wasn't as if he chose to be gay. He hoped Murakami was willing to see him as more than a junior; see him as a man.

Kisa grabbed his coat, laptop, and all the necessary story boards; he'd continue at home where he could be uninterrupted with his editing. He actually wanted to get home and give his pet a bath; for some reason it calmed him. Just the feel of washing that boy's hair while venting seemed to do wonders for his stress. Had the kid not been there when he'd been trying to sift through his life with the company, his possible loss of a mangaka, and a new potential beau, Kisa'd probably have gone off the deep end. As it were, he looked forward to returning home and having someone there waiting for him.

Within moments of retrieving his things, the editor was on his way home. He walked with his head slightly facing the ground; something he'd picked up after finding out his ex's fuck-buddy was with child. Kisa didn't want to look at anyone because they all reminded him of his one-night stands. Each and every single person he'd fucked when he was trying to get over his love.

By the time he got home he was feeling rather depressed. He opened the door and smiled when he saw Kiiro-chan sitting on a cushion by the door. The boy was leaning against the wall and reading a book. When Kisa entered the smile on the other's face was enough to make him break down into tears. Yukina watched as the smaller man fell into his arms and hugged him with a look of worry on his eyes. Something must have happened and Yukina wanted to know.

"Kisa-san, are you okay?" he asked, worried.

The other man nodded. "I'm fine, Kiiro-chan. I just need a minute then I can wash your hair and back for you since I'm sure you can't do it yourself."

Yukina wanted to laugh. Of course he knew how to take care of himself, but he absolutely adored when Kisa-san wanted to take care of him. For some reason he figured the man needed someone to take care of to feel content.

Kisa went to the bathroom to fill the tub with water. He then added bubbles since Kiiro-chan seemed to enjoy them. While he waited for his pet to come to the bathroom he dressed in his bathing clothes. There was no rhyme or reason he could fathom as to why he started to bathe the other man. He'd never bathed anyone aside from himself, not even his ex. Maybe it was his head telling him that all pets needed to be bathed, so it had become, quite literally, a daily ritual. It was during that time Kisa was able to talk about his day unhindered and he spilled everything from how long he'd been in the bathroom to what he wanted to do on his next lunch break.

Yukina walked into the bathroom, sans clothes, and sat himself into the warm water. He preferred it a little hotter, but he never complained. Far be it for him to take advantage of the man who had been feeding him, even if they were convenience store lunch sets.

As he leaned back he could feel Kisa-san start to wash his back. It felt completely erotic to him, on a level he'd never experienced before. Just the feel of Kisa touching him in an innocent way was more intimate than any of the relationships he'd ever been in before.

"I am struggling with the editing of Poison Arrow, Kiiro-chan. It's difficult to look at girls playing with each other's private areas and using sex toys to get each other off. Seems really unnatural to me."

Yukina was not the person to give advice about girls rug-munching each other. In fact, it rather made him want to shiver, but he knew that it was important for Kisa to master this obstacle, so he offered some vocal support.

"Kisa-san is a genius when it comes to editing all types of manga. I am sure you can get through it if you focus on the prize at the end."

In Yukina's head that was keeping the mangaka and her work. In Kisa's head that was actually beating out Fukushima and winning Murakami. Both had smiles on their faces as Kisa finished washing the other's back and hair.

/GG/

Once he was freshly bathed, Yukina sat on the sofa with his head resting on Kisa's shoulder while the elder worked on the manga. He would have admitted immediately that the stuff was overly and unnecessarily graphic, to the point he was surprised that Marukawa even had it in their collection. Even he, who had done nudes with two female bodies entwined, found the pictures grotesque and horrible to look at. He wondered how the mangaka of the cheesy Summer Rain had even managed to come up with the story lines.

Accidentally slipping into his normal self and not a pet, he glared at the pages.

"What is this, Kisa-san? How on earth can someone write, let alone read it?"

Kisa mumbled, "Some people like this kind of stuff, like some people like to see rapes, murders, and other such grotesque happenings in manga."

"This just seems wrong. I guess if you need to edit it though, this frame would be better here."

The editor looked at what his pet was saying, switched them in his mind, and then looked at Kiiro-chan with a solemn expression.

"I didn't know you knew this much about manga, Kiiro-chan."

Yukina bit his tongue for a moment and then nodded slightly with an answer anyone would accept, "We're Japanese, of course we know manga."

This answer seemed to sate the other's curiosity and the two went back to working on the manga together. For the most part Yukina sat and watched in awe as Kisa made the corrections that needed to be made, even if he was seeing parts of a woman he'd not seen since he was pushed from the birth canal. Occasionally Yukina would make a comment, but not much. It wasn't until they were on the last page that the artist realized that he had been himself for the first time with the other man and Kisa hadn't outright rejected him. This made his heart flutter in a way he'd never even knew existed.


	4. The Luckiest Pet

Hello all; and we are finally ready for weekly updates. Now I just need to finish writing the other story I am working on so I can update that one weekly too. Then I think to myself; 'I'll be back in America before it's completely posted', and I don't feel in as much of a hurry. LOL.

**Anyway, thanks so much to Risque Tendencies for correcting my crappy English.** (In truth, I am an English teacher, but when I type I don't have the best grammar, sentence structure, etc. because my brain works too fast but sometimes cannot keep up with my fingers. On the other hand, I can teach just about anyone how to speak the English language (American) without any real problem.)

I also want to say a big thank you to everyone who has been reading, reviewing, and any of the other things a person can do with this story. If only one person shows an interest then I am happier than Winnie the Pooh with a pot of honey. Thanks All!

/GG/

The Luckiest Pet

Yukina woke up that Saturday morning to find that he and Kisa had fallen asleep on the sofa together; manga pages spread out on the coffee table. The pages were marked with red and Yukina had talked Kisa into using blue markers to point out some of the really good lines or drawings; not that he found them good in the least. There were all types of people in the world and he figured those into hard-core yuri would appreciate what Kisa had done.

The slighter man was leaning against Yukina's shoulder and his head was resting on the man's chest. When Yukina had originally woken he smiled at the fact that his head had been resting on Kisa-san's. They fit together so well it was almost as if fate had put that box in front of the editor's apartment for Yukina to find. With a smile, Yukina gently lowered his head back onto his 'master's' and tried to drift off again. It wasn't likely something to happen again since he'd discovered how embarrassed Kisa tended to get over the littlest of things.

He, himself, found it cute whenever a blush snaked its way across the older man's cheeks. It all but made his heart jump into his throat when Kisa smiled. Far be it for a man of only 21 to admit it, but it hadn't taken much more than a glance for the seeds of love to be planted in his heart and start to grow like Jack's beanstalk*.

On the other hand, Kisa didn't wake up and find it cute at all. In fact he was completely embarrassed to the point he fell off the couch causing all of the manga pages to go flying throughout the room. He landed onto the floor with a rather unattractive guttural sound and shook his head. Once he realized it was only Kiiro-chan he'd fallen asleep on the feeling of utter embarrassment died down to slight embarrassment. For a brief moment he'd looked at his pet as more than a pet. Then he shook the idea out of his head and went back to seeing the beautiful man as only a pet.

"Kiiro-chan, did you sleep well?" Kisa asked as he retrieved his papers from the floor and put them back into the correct order.

Yukina stretched and yawned. "Better than I've ever slept before, Kisa-san; you?"

Kisa nodded. "It's because we did so much on the story board last night and I have my date today. I must have worn myself out a little."

The artist nodded with a slight frown. He was jealous of Murakami for taking Kisa-san away on the weekend, but there was no way he could admit that. Yukina pushed the thought aside and stood up quickly to help find any remaining papers. As he took a step forward he lurched on his foot, lost his balance, and landed on his wrist.

Kisa dropped the storyboard and rushed to Yukina's side, a look of horror on his face. "Kiiro-chan, are you okay?"

Yukina nodded as he shook his head and stood back up. He tried to move his wrist and immediately regretted the idea when he felt a searing pain shoot from his wrist to his head. An undignified groan came from his chest as he rubbed his finger over the wrist; he'd just realized that it would be rather impossible to paint when his hand was hurt.

"I'm fine," he lied, feigning a smile. He didn't want Kisa-san to worry any.

Kisa could do nothing but agree with him, even though his head was shouting at him to not listen. "Okay," he said; eyes wide with worry. "But you should go to the hospital to get it checked anyway."

With a smile adorning his face and what looked like little flowers dancing above his crown, Yukina answered the man. "I will do what I can." If he'd been any more than a pet Kisa would have fallen in love instantaneously.

"Good," he mumbled. "I don't want you hurt." He took hold of the hand and gazed at it and for the first time realized that the hands were soft, yet looked to have done labor at some point because of the calluses.

Kisa looked up at the man and smiled before rubbing his fingers through Kiiro-chan's hair. Ruffling the other's hair seemed to put both men at ease. He then smiled and went to change for his date. Murakami-senpai was taking him to eat and then to the ballet; he wanted to be ready.

/GG/

After leaving the apartment, Kisa Shouta made his way to the entrance where Murakami was waiting for him in his car. The editor smiled as he slid into the sleek interior of the vehicle and let the seat hug him tight. He fit well in the car, that was for sure, and the fact that his senpai was smiling in the driver's seat made the car that much more desirable.

"Kisa, I am glad you made it. I wanted to take you out when we were younger, but you always seemed to shy away. I'm glad that your aging had brought on this change in attitude."

This caused Kisa to blush ten shades of purple and red as he nodded. No words could describe the fact that he was elated to have his senpai admit to liking him as more than just a colleague. The butterflies in his stomach started fluttering around again and he immediately felt nervous at the prospect of being in any sort of relationship with the older man.

"I hope you like sushi. I've decided we can eat simple and go to a sushi bar. It's easy and you can choose what you like off the conveyer belt."

"I do like sushi, senpai," Kisa said softly. Then he recalled the time a couple of nights ago when he'd brought sushi home from the Family Mart. Kiiro-chan had been ecstatic to see the spread. "My pet likes sushi too," he said absentmindedly; a smile on his face.

"Oh, I didn't know you had a pet," Murakami said with interest. "Boy or girl?"

"Kiiro-chan is a boy. He's definitely an interesting sort."

"I used to have a cat, but I gave her to my neighbor who was rather lonely. That cat made her day and they are still happy together."

Immediately Kisa knew there was something they could talk about besides work; something to bring them closer to one another. Senpai didn't have to know that Kisa's pet was actually a man, just that he had one. Nothing could bring them closer together faster than talking about a similar situation.

"What made you decide to get a pet, senpai?"

Murakami looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing. "It was rather strange, really. I wasn't expecting to run into a lady selling kittens. She was obviously homeless and the kittens were probably strays she'd found somewhere. I paid quite a bit for it too. Of course that was more to help the homeless than for the cat. I could have easily found a cat for a lot cheaper than buying the one off the street, but I was helping someone, so it seemed like a good idea at the time. How about yours?"

Kisa nodded. "Kiiro-chan was definitely a stray. He had no place else to go, so I took him in just a short time ago. I sometimes wonder what I did before when he wasn't waiting for me to come home," Kisa said with a laugh; just talking about the boy made him happy. "I wouldn't trade that in for anything."

"Kisa, you and I are one in the same with that thought. Nothing makes a man happier than knowing he's caring for something that needs to be cared for. I was the same way as a child and I will continue being that way till I die."

Kisa looked over and saw that his senpai was glowing as he drove down the street. That man hadn't looked more beautiful in his life than when he commented that they were the same. And Kisa was more than happy to continue on the conversation about Kiiro-chan.

/GG/

Once at the restaurant, the men were seated and Kisa ordered himself a beer. Yes, it was only midday, but it was also his day off and that meant he could splurge a little. Senpai liked his choice and ordered the same beverage, then the two continued talking.

"I let Kiiro-chan have some beer once and he could hardly walk. I am not sure the last time he'd had alcohol."

Murakami laughed from deep within, causing Kisa to startle. He looked over at the man and realized he'd said something that could easily give away that his pet was not of the animal variety.

"I had a dog when I was a kid that my father used to give beer to every now and then. That dog would stumble across the floor and eventually pass out at the foot of the sofa. Good times, those."

Kisa breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't been found out, but that sigh of relief changed the instant he saw Fukushima walking toward them with a huge grin on her face.

"Murakami-san, what a coincidence!" the female editor exclaimed. This made Kisa inwardly cringe, especially when she sat down on senpai's side of the booth with the man.

"Fukushima-san, this is a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?" Murakami asked while Kisa glared daggers at the exchange.

"I'm here with my girlfriend. We're going to see Swan Lake and decided to drop by here for a quick bite before the opening."

This, of course, made Kisa seethe as she brought out her tickets to share with _his _date.

"Really, this is quite the shock. We're seated right next to one another," Murakami said as he too brought out his tickets. Kisa rolled his eyes. This was no coincidence.

"Then why don't we make it a foursome. I'm sure Kisa-san doesn't mind, do you?"

What could he say that didn't make him sound like a huge ass? Not much, though a few hundred words and phrases popped into his head that he wished he could say. Kisa wasn't shy in that moment, but he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of senpai, so he held his tongue and just shook his head.

"Well, then it's settled. Let me go get Naruse and we can all enjoy the day together."

/GG/

Needless to say, Kisa didn't much enjoy the ballet and was even less than enthused that his date had been crashed by his competition. Had she never heard of the code of ethics? More than likely she had, but she was just ignoring them for her own personal gain. So after the ballet was done, Kisa was overjoyed that senpai had turned down an invitation for drinks in favor of spending the remainder of the evening with Kisa; alone. He was even treated to Fukushima looking like murder, with a malignant stare coming his way, as Murakami put his hand on the small of Kisa's back and led the man to his car.

"I'm sorry, Kisa, I hadn't intended to invite her to come along until you said she could," Kenichi said as they started to drive.

"I didn't want to appear rude," Kisa stated truthfully; though internally he was kicking himself in the ass. "In truth, I was half expecting to receive a call from Kiiro-chan that something was up at my place."

Murakami threw back his head and chuckled as Kisa realized what his comment sounded like. He was glad the other man was still thinking his pet was a pet, and not a man.

"Now that would have been something. Though if Kiiro-chan is the jealous type then maybe you'll find a present of some sort in your shoes when you return home."

Kisa suppressed a giggle as he shook his head. "I certainly hope not. He's better trained than that."

A few moments later the car stopped at a stoplight. Kisa looked out the window but was immediately drawn back toward the other man, who was looking at him.

"I like you, Kisa," Murakami said bluntly. "I always have and I hope that by your coming today I can assume you like me too."

The editor nodded. "Yes?" It was a question even though he hadn't meant for it to be.

"Good," Murakami said as he leaned in and captured the surprised man's lips in a spine jolting kiss.

It only lasted until the light changed and they needed to drive again, but as luck would have it they hit another light less than a minute later and their prior kiss continued with fevered passion. Kisa could feel every single synapse in his brain firing off waves of pleasure throughout his body. How he had longed for a moment like this when he'd been younger and now that he was in the middle of his fantasies he never wanted them to stop.

Once the light turned green and Murakami turned to drive Kisa noticed the man's hand snaking its way toward his nether region. It didn't really take much more than a slight nudge for him to feel himself getting hard. His body and mind were in sync when he realized how much he wanted to be with this man.

"Let's go to my place," Murakami stated; Kisa just nodded.

The drive to senpai's house was a little blurry for the editor as every time they hit a light the kissing and fondling continued. He was surprised the older man was able to drive and touch him without causing some sort of accident. It wasn't until the car was stopped in the parking lot of Murakami's building that Kisa realized completely what was about to happen. In that moment his mind went to Kiiro-chan in that if he stayed with senpai his pet would be home alone and he couldn't risk sending off a text, let alone call, to let the man know where he was.

Those thoughts were extinguished as he felt himself being lifted and he was soon sitting atop his senpai. His lips were attacked quickly thereafter and he returned the kiss full force. It didn't matter that they were in the parking garage or that someone could happen upon them; they were the only two in the world at that point.

Murakami groaned into the kiss when Kisa felt him feel his growing erection. Under his own ass cheeks he could feel his senpai was rather hard himself. If they didn't get out of the car and get to a bed then that car was going to be initiated rather quickly.

"Your place?" Kisa asked with a shudder and a quiet moan.

"Right."

The two men hopped from the car and dashed toward the elevator. Once inside they were glued at the lips again, grinding against one another and fighting for dominance. They only pulled back when the elevator stopped at which point Kisa's hand was grabbed and he was all but pulled toward the door to senpai's apartment.

They made quick work of their clothes once they hit the threshold of Murakami's place and before Kisa had a chance to think again they were in the older man's bed. He could feel his need growing at an alarming rate. Then he felt his wrist being pinned against the back of the bed. It hurt and that pain was just enough to snap his judgment.

Immediately Kisa thought about Kiiro-chan and wondered if the man had gone to the hospital. The thought of the younger boy sitting at his apartment all day with a hurt wrist was enough to make him stop his current exploits and focus solely on what was going on with his pet. How could an owner leave a pet who had been hurt just so he could end up in the bed with someone? That was the only thought Kisa needed before he pushed his senpai away and sat up quickly.

"I'm sorry," Kisa stammered in shame as he climbed from the bed to retrieve his discarded garments. He eyed Murakami with want and desire for a brief second before Kiiro-chan popped into his head again. What if he really hadn't gone to the hospital? "My pet," he explained. "He hurt himself and I think I should take him to the hospital since pets can't go on their own."

Murakami sat up without covering his rather engorged cock, which had started to wilt rather quickly because of the lack of skin-ship. "Do you need me to drive you? If I had known Kiiro-chan was hurt we could have taken him to the doctor together."

Kisa shook his head; he'd never be able to explain how Kiiro-chan was a man and not an animal. "I can handle it. Kiiro-chan is a little territorial and I don't want him to put you off."

The other man nodded. "I understand, at least let me drive you home." Kisa shook his head. "Are you sure?"

Once fully dressed Kisa turned and walked to the door. "I am so sorry senpai, I really want this, but I can't stop thinking about him. He needs me."

"I can see you are attached, you haven't stopped talking about him all day. I don't want to come between a man and his dog."

In truth, Kisa had never once said what type of animal his pet was, so he knew his senpai was guessing.

"Thank you," he said as he raced from the building and toward the nearest street to find a taxi.

/GG/

"Kiiro-chan!" Shouta shouted as he raced into his apartment without discarding his shoes. He ran into the main room and saw that his pet was asleep on his mat; an ice pack on his wrist. Kisa pulled the ice pack off and shook his head. The wrist had turned purple and was swollen.

"Kisa-san?" Yukina asked as he was woken up by a heaviness at his side.

"You idiot!" Kisa shouted as he grabbed the pillow and beat the other man over the head. "You promised to go to the fucking hospital to have that looked at."

"I meant to," Yukina admitted, sheepishly.

Kisa narrowed his eyes. "Then we go, now." He hadn't meant for the order to sound as harsh as it did, but this came about more from worry than anything else.

He made sure the other man's wrist was wrapped in ice and a towel as they hailed a taxi and drove to the emergency room. Kisa refused to leave Kiiro-chan's side, even during the x-ray. The only reason he left the room was that Kiiro-chan insisted he'd be okay for the few minutes it would take to get the x-ray complete.

After the ordeal, the two sat in a room while the wrist, which happened to have been fractured, was taped and then put in a cast. Kisa almost wanted to cry when Kiiro-chan smiled and held up his new cast.

"I am so sorry," he babbled as they walked from the emergency room. "I never should have left today."

Yukina smiled as he listened to the man go off on himself. He placed a hand on the shorter man's head and ruffled his dark hair like Kisa-san did for him. "It's okay, Kisa-san. I am fine now, see." He held up his hand and didn't grimace like he'd done when the doctor was checking him over.

"Still, what kind of owner am I who runs off and leaves his pet in your condition?"

The artist would never have wanted to admit that it felt wonderful to have someone care about him that much. He was a human and he had been more than capable in taking himself to the hospital. In truth he'd felt like a pet when Kisa-san had left him alone earlier that afternoon. But when the man had returned home earlier than expected, Yukina'd felt like the luckiest pet on the planet. He even felt bad at the fact he'd filled Kisa-san's extra pair of shoes with leftover rice and curry from the fridge.

"I love my master, so I forgive you," he said softly into the older man's ear.

Kisa shuddered at the comment and had to tell himself that Kiiro-chan was only a pet and it didn't really mean anything. Still, when the younger man linked arms with him as they walked back, he allowed himself to turn slightly red, but stayed put because he felt he owed the man. He could only think about how happy it made him feel that someone loved him.

/GG/

Author's note – For anyone who doesn't know the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, the stalk grows into the clouds overnight, which indicates (in the sentence used) Yukina's love grew very quickly.


	5. Pets Love Unconditionally

Many apologies for the late update. Real life sucks, enough said. I have updated this and my other chaptered story as of recent, hopefully I will get into the writing groove again and get the other story completed.

Thanks to any and all who pop in and thanks to Risque Tendencies for correcting any of the mistakes she finds in this story. Cheers!

/GG/

Just a Few Days

Pets Love Unconditionally

There are many times in a person's life when happiness doesn't come close to describing how a person is feeling. Even using the words 'utterly elated' would have been an understatement for how Yukina felt when Kisa-san had said he wasn't going in to work for the overtime because he needed to stay and make sure Kiiro-chan was okay. So the editor had been waiting on him hand and foot all morning.

"Kiiro-chan, do you want some water?" Kisa asked after he'd checked the boy's hand to make sure it hadn't turned purple again for the twelfth time in an hour.

"No, Kisa-san, I am fine," Yukina chirped with a smile adorning his face.

"We can go for a walk today, if you want. I've never taken you on a walk, so it's probably time I did," Kisa stated as he looked outside at the brilliant blue sky.

The first thought to pop into the art student's head was of him walking next to Kisa-san with a collar and a leash attached to his neck. This made him chuckle because the man would never put him in such a contraption, but it was amusing nonetheless.

Kisa was a little mystified at the sudden chuckle until he realized his wording might have sounded a little off. He'd had a similar vision, only with Kiiro-chan on all fours, pulling him like a dog pulls his master. The idea utterly humiliated him and he immediately started stammering.

"I don't mean like a dog, I just thought we could go for a walk. Forget I said anything!" he shouted as he jumped off the sofa.

He didn't make it far before Kiiro-chan had pulled on his arm. The next thing Kisa knew he was face to chest with the taller man. Underneath his pet's shirt he could make out his heartbeat; strong and steady. His own heart was beating rather quickly by that point and he started to feel something he shouldn't be feeling for Kiiro-chan.

"Kisa-san, I would love you to take me on a walk," Yukina crooned into the older man's ear. He could feel Kisa-san start to shiver involuntarily and it caused him to shiver as well. For a moment the only thing he wanted to do was lean down and kiss his master's lips and taste of the forbidden fruit.

"O-okay," Kisa stammered shyly as he pushed himself away and headed toward the door. "Let's go while we know the sun is still shining."

Yukina could have giggled if he wasn't trying to keep a certain organ on his body from engorging itself at the thought of making love with the man who had captured his heart after just a few days. Instead he merely nodded and walked toward the door, where Kisa-san insisted on putting his shoes on for him because of his wrist. Then the older man donned his own and they stepped outside.

/GG/

The sun was hot, but the breeze made it warm rather than unbearable. Kisa walked next to Kiiro-chan, who was eating an ice cream cone, and let his mind wander. He thought back to his night of almost frenzied passion with his senpai and it made his stomach twist into nervous knots. How would Murakami-senpai act the next day when he saw him?

Then he looked at Kiiro-chan and a soft smile spread across his face. The man, for he didn't really look like a pet in that light, stood quite a bit taller than he and looked like a runway model. With the sun behind his head it made him look just like a prince; his thoughts when he'd first laid eyes on the guy after cleaning him off.

Yukina smiled down on Kisa which caused the latter to turn his head in embarrassment and blush. How cute the editor was. Yukina was one very lucky pet indeed.

"Kisa-san, let's ride the Ferris Wheel!" Yukina shouted as he pulled his companion to the line. This act caused an even deeper blush to make itself present, and the man giggled slightly as he took another bite of ice cream.

"Kiiro-chan, don't pull me like that," Kisa admonished slightly as he shook himself off and straightened up.

"I'm sorry, Kisa-san," Yukina said jovially. "But I've always wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel with someone I cared for, so this is as good a time as any!"

There was no denying the man, who shone like the light of a few dozen suns. Kisa couldn't say no to the boy and deep down he didn't want to.

"Okay, but only once," he said as he paid the man to let them on the next available car.

Within a few minutes, they were at the top of the wheel, looking out at the landscape of concrete towers and asphalt roadways. Kisa himself had never been in the Ferris Wheel, so this was a new experience for him as well. He wasn't even aware of when it happened, but soon both his and Kiiro-chan's fingers entwined as they looked out over the horizon.

Neither parted when they exited the car and continued walking down the street. Kisa was off in his own little world until he saw something that made his heart drop. Within seconds of seeing the man, his legs froze and his face contorted slightly. Yukina looked from Kisa-san to the man and back again.

"Shouta-san, is that you?" the man inquired as he took a step closer.

Yukina would have thought the man was Murakami-senpai if it weren't for the woman pushing a baby-stroller beside the man. This had to be the man who had broken Kisa-san's heart all those months ago. The look on Kisa-san's face made Yukina want to pick him up and carry him off to safety since it looked like the man was about to cry.

"It is you, Shouta-san, how are you?"

Kisa almost vomited in his mouth. Anyone could have seen how uncomfortable he was and just have walked by without saying anything. He couldn't even try to say anything as his eyes found the baby in the stroller; the one that had been created at the same time he himself had been having sex with the father.

"Who is this, Shouta-san, a new boyfriend?"

Yukina'd had enough. Normally he'd have not said anything, especially with a lady present, not to mention a child, but this all too familiar man was causing Kisa-san unwarranted stress. He reached over and grabbed Kisa-san's hand again and brought it to his lips and kissed it lightly on the knuckles before speaking.

"Who I am is none of your concern," he said dangerously. "But anyone with half a brain should be able to pick up on how uncomfortable _my_ Kisa-san is feeling. So I am only going to say this once; stay the fuck away from him."

Kisa stared in shock at Kiiro-chan's display, but couldn't say anything. His head was cheering the man on as he found himself being pulled passed the couple and the baby. He didn't even look back as they continued down the street toward his apartment. After that run-in he wasn't really interested in hanging around and running into anyone else he might know.

As for his thoughts, Yukina couldn't decide whether Kisa-san would be happy at his forward words or angry. He could only think of taking his master back to their home and keeping him safe. Yukina burned with anger at the audacity of Kisa's former lover, parading around with his new spawn and pretending that the past didn't matter. Infidelity was never something he could do to someone he loved. He'd never hurt Kisa-san like that.

The remainder of the walk was short and quiet. The only sound either man made was that of their feet hitting the pavement as they walked. Eventually they did slow down to a much less hurried pace and enjoyed a little more of the outside together. Kisa could feel Kiiro-chan's sweaty hand in his and thought about how well they fit together.

"Are you okay, Kisa-san?" Yukina finally mumbled as they walked into the apartment.

"Yes, do you want some coffee?" Kisa answered, trying to forget the bulk of the walk. It had been so nice before running into that man.

"Please." Yukina knew that Kisa-san would open up once he'd had a chance to process all of his thoughts.

/GG/

A few hours later, after Kisa had left and come back from the store with food, he was willing to open up. He told Yukina all about his feelings when he saw that baby and how he wondered if his ex had cheated because Kisa would never have been able to have a child with him.

"I can't carry a baby inside of me, so he went to find someone who could," he said in a dejected tone. "I should have been born a girl."

Yukina chuckled slightly and rubbed the guy's hair. "I think you are the right gender, Kisa-san. I love you just the way you are."

"Pets love unconditionally. It's humans that need to learn to love like that," Kisa said, not realizing how hurtful the statement actually sounded. "Do you want to take a bath?"

The art student nodded. He knew that by him receiving a bath it would help Kisa-san with his demons. Yukina allowed the editor to drag him to the bathroom and strip him. His master didn't seem to have any inhibitions about seeing a naked, younger body in front of him, so Yukina let the man clean him and bathe him.

After the bath, Kisa led Yukina to the bed and pulled him down next to him. Kou was rather startled until Kisa-san spoke up.

"I used to do this with my dog when I was a kid and I felt sad, you don't mind, do you?"

"No," he answered truthfully. "I don't mind." He felt complete lying there with his master holding him. Yukina could feel his heart beating fast within his chest. If only that feeling could last forever.

/GG/

Morning came quickly and soon both men were on their way to their respective work places. Kou had to take a shift at the bookstore since he'd missed his Saturday schedule. He planned on working till lunch and then heading off to the university to get some of his paintings ready for the art show. He had been counting down the days for months and now that it was finally here he didn't know if he could contain his excitement.

"What in the fuck happened to your hand?" Rio demanded as she ran over to help the man lift a painting and hang it on the wall in the exhibition room.

"I broke it. Hairline fracture."

"And how did that happen? That person you're staying with didn't do this to you, did he?"

Yukina grinned and nodded his head. "It was an accident. In truth, I stood up and slipped. He wasn't really to blame, but I can tell you I lose all thought when I'm around him."

"How are you supposed to paint that last piece before the opening if your hand is busted, you moron?"

It was a logical question and he knew the painting wouldn't look nearly as good as his other, but he planned on finishing it anyway.

"I will just have to work longer on it to make sure it's of the same quality. It's hardly my fault I broke my wrist, Rio," he stated as they affixed another painting to the wall.

"I'd better not catch you being stupid again, Kou. You are walking on thin ice as it is."

Yukina smiled as his friend and nodded. "I am planning on staying another hour before leaving. I promise to get some things done before I head off to my master's place."

Rio visibly blanched. "It's creepy, the way you say that, having a master when you're a human. This isn't some underdeveloped country, you know."

"I don't find it creepy in the least. I adore being with Kisa-san as much as he adores being with me. If all I can do is be his pet, that that's enough for me."

He felt a hand on his shoulder at that comment and looked at his friend. "You are setting your sights too low, Kou, you are much better than a pet. I know that you and I don't work out, but I have a friend who is interested in you. Why not give her a chance since she's bound to treat you with the respect you deserve."

The art student shook his head. "If it's not Kisa-san, then it's no one."

"Then tell me this, Kou," she said seriously. "Have you thought about what's going to happen when he decides to find a girl and get married? What's going to happen to you then?"

"Kisa-san is gay, so I doubt he's going to find a girl and get married," Kou admitted.

"Okay, so he won't find a girl, but what happens when he ends up in a serious relationship with a guy? How are you going to react to that? What's he going to do to you then? He can't very well introduce you to another man as his pet."

Yukina had thought about that on a few occasions. It hadn't even been a week since he'd come to live with Kisa-san and he had been hoping the man would change their arrangement. It hadn't taken long for Kou to realize he was deep in love with the manga editor.

"Oh, don't tell me…" Rio started. "You're hoping he will choose you? How is he going to get his head onto a different train of thought when all he sees when he looks at you is a pet? I'm telling you, Kou, as a friend; get out of this relationship before you get hurt."

"I can handle myself. I am not going to get hurt. Kisa-san may be a little rough around the edges, but I know he will come around eventually."

"For your sake, I hope you're right."

He could tell his friend was worried, but Yukina figured that he'd break down Kisa-san's barriers slowly until the older man was willing to let him in. Until that time, Yukina would remain by his side; a pet.

/GG/

Once he arrived at work he'd half expected to hear from Murakami. When he didn't, Kisa began to wonder if the man was still interested in him. There wasn't much time to dwell on that, though, as once he hit his floor he was whisked away for an emergency. One of his mangaka had been in an accident and couldn't get her pages in on time, so Kisa needed to find someone to help her with the remaining pictures.

This process took most of the day, and by the time he was able to deliver his finished corrections to the Amethyst department it was way past lunchtime. His thoughts to the last encounter with the man came into play and he could feel his stomach start to flutter, and his need to be touched on a certain part of his body. Work was not the place to be thinking about such actions, though, because he didn't want to have any embarrassment on his part.

Still, that didn't stop him from seeing Murakami-senpai, seated at his desk, and immediately feel his nether region begin to stir. He walked toward the other man, arms clutching two copies of corrected material, and tried to think about anything that would keep him from ending up with wood while at work.

"Murakami-san, here are my corrected sheets," he said with a slight bow as he handed off his papers.

"Good, thank you Kisa," Murakami stood and smiled. "You finished them early; they weren't due till tomorrow."

Kisa could feel Fukushima glaring daggers at his back for receiving a compliment from their superior.

"I will admit, I had some help. Kiiro-chan is very good at keeping me company and helping me when necessary," Kisa said.

Murakami threw back his head and laughed. "I am sure your dog does an excellent job of keeping you on track. Speaking of Kiiro-chan, how is he?"

This was a conversation he'd hoped he wouldn't have to have. It was one thing when a human neglected themselves with a broken bone, but when the man thought Kiiro-chan was actually a dog, if Kisa admitted there was a fracture it might end up looking bad. He wasn't a coward though, so he decided to come right out and say it.

"He had a hairline fracture in his wrist. The doctor said he'd heal just fine though. We've been keeping ice on it to keep the swelling down and I made him rest it yesterday."

Kisa was surprised when his senpai came over and put an arm around his shoulder. "You're a good master, Kisa. Kiiro-chan is lucky to have you."

"T-thank you, senpai," he said quietly. "I mean, Murakami-san."

"I'm fine with senpai, but you can call me Kenichi; or just Ken if you want."

Shouta blushed more than ever with that little revelation. Obviously almost having sex meant they were on a different level than before.

"I don't think that's appropriate here at work," he stuttered.

Murakami nodded. "You are correct, so how about when we are in private, you can call me Ken, and I will call you by your given name too."

The fact that this conversation was taking place in front of a whole slew of girls, one of who had her eyes set on the man who was speaking, had to be the most embarrassing thing Kisa had ever been part of. He could do nothing but say yes by way of a slight nod. He caught the eye of Fukushima who looked like she was about ready to go ballistic on his ass.

"Speaking of which, I need to speak with you, so come with me for a moment." Murakami kept his hand on Kisa's back and led him away from the wolf pack and out the back door of the department.

Kisa noticed they were walking down the hallway, away from the elevators and toward the stairwell. The next thing he knew, he was led to a part of the building that was under renovation. Being Monday, meant that the workers hadn't come in yet, since their job started in the evening to keep the noise down as much as possible during peak business hours.

"Uh, senpai?" he asked, when they'd stopped in a vacant conference room.

Moments after those words left his lips he was pushed into the corner and Murakami had started to kiss him senseless. The idea of an office fling had always appealed to Kisa, but he had been completely caught off-guard. So, it took him a while to start to respond.

"I'm sorry, Shouta, but I really wanted you the other night, and when I saw you walking toward me, I knew that I couldn't wait any longer," Kenichi breathed into the nape of the smaller man's neck. He proceeded to give the man a love bite.

"But we're at work," Kisa said, eyes wide with both surprise and desire.

"Fuck work, right now I want to make love to you."

The words were enough to give Kisa the hard-on from hell, and even if they didn't do anything, he'd need to go to the bathroom and do something about it himself. He looked into his senpai's eyes and could see fire spreading through the pupil all the way into the man's brain. That was all it took for him to claim the lips of the other again. Who cared if they initiated this office; besides it had been initiated by everyone on his team, as well as the company owner's son and said son's lover.

"Enough talk," he mumbled as he reached for Murakami's zipper. It was time to correct the mistake of leaving both men high and dry on Saturday. After all, Kiiro-chan was fine now.


	6. Confusion

Hello all! Thank you so much for all the reviews, follows, favorites, or just popping in. I hit 25 reviews for the last chapter, so that makes me rather giddy. Thanks!

This chapter was read over by Risque Tendencies; thanks!

I will try to post another chapter before I fly back to America, but that may not happen. There are only two more chapters after this one, so I will see what I can do. Once in America I may not have Internet until December 24th. Hopefully I can post at that point. Cheers!

/GG/

Just a Few Days

Confusion

Imagine falling out of a plane and landing on the solid pavement after freefalling for a few hours. That was how Yukina felt when he'd found out that Kisa-san had fucked his senpai while at work. He had been so depressed he even refused a bath since the man hadn't showered, that he was aware, since letting that man touch him.

Kisa-san was worried about his pet, but Kiiro-chan kept saying it was because his wrist hurt and that he was tired. So the editor tucked the man into bed and let the pain drugs he hadn't needed to take as of yet take hold. Within moments the soft sounds of Kiiro-chan's breathing could be heard throughout the apartment. He actually felt a little lost that the man wasn't sitting on the bed with him, demanding attention. But he couldn't do anything about it, so he curled himself up and fell asleep while still in his work clothes.

When he woke the next morning he saw that Kiiro-chan was seated at the table, waiting patiently for Kisa to feed him. Gone were all thoughts of something being the matter as the boy was acting like normal, to which Kisa was eternally grateful. So he fed his pet, gave him a quick rub, and hurried off to work, leaving what he thought was a happy man at his apartment.

Once the door closed, Yukina cut the façade and let his head droop. A tear fell from his eye and landed on the table where his food had been just ten minutes prior. Kisa-san had been so excited to gush about that sexual experience. Every single one of Rio's words hung in the air like a fog. She had been right; it wasn't something that was going to work out. Yukina'd have to step up his game if he wanted the man to be his.

That morning at the bookstore, Kou spent a few spare minutes talking to the girls that flocked to him whenever he was there. He wanted to ask them some questions on how they managed to get the attention of someone they liked. As he imagined, most of them were pretty bummed when he mentioned that he'd found a man he liked, but since they were such loyal customers most were willing to talk. In this case he found himself acting rather out of the ordinary for himself, but he couldn't see any other way.

"What you need to do, Yukina-kun, is get his attention somehow. I mean, you are good at getting our attention, so it shouldn't be hard to get his," one such customer offered.

"And remember, boys don't like the same compliments as girls. Telling him he's cute will probably be a major turn-off. I'd stick with telling him about the ways you admire him," another customer said.

"Don't forget to mark your territory," a third said, earning stares from everyone within earshot.

"Excuse me?" Yukina was a little confused as to where the animal reference was coming from.

"Just because we're humans doesn't mean we don't have the basic instincts we once had as primates. What does a dog do when he smells the urine of another dog on his territory? He covers the urine with his own. The same idea follows for humans. You need to mark your territory, Yukina-kun," she said with a smile.

The idea kind of intrigued him. Kisa had mentioned that he and Murakami had only had intercourse once, which meant that the other man's seed had covered Kisa's insides. What Yukina needed to do, as a pet marking his territory, was cover Kisa's insides with his own seed, more than once, to claim ownership.

It was plausible that it might work. If Kisa could see Yukina as a man and not a pet then the man could very well stop thinking of him as Kiiro-chan and think of him as Yukina instead. Kisa-san didn't even know his name yet, so there was that.

Once his time in the manga section was over he went to the self-help section and looked for a book on homosexual lovers. He'd never been with another man and in no way did he want to hurt Kisa-san, so he figured he needed all the help he could get.

/GG/

Kisa was riding a high while he sat at work going over a new storyboard. He had finished editing another one earlier and since he was on a role he'd decided to stay through lunch and finish another. His superior nodded at his enthusiasm, but didn't offer much in the way of verbal approval. On the other hand, the man whom his superior was obviously infatuated with had no problem mentioning that Kisa was on a high.

"You must have had a good night, Kisa-san, I need you to tell me how to be that happy," the jaded man called Onodera Ritsu said.

"That's easy Ri-chan, I have found someone who appreciated me and that makes me work all that much harder," Kisa said with a slight smile and a blush.

He knew that if he played his cards right he could get the newest member of the Emerald department to blush even further. After all, he'd recently discovered that Onodera and Takano had been in a relationship when they were in high school. Now his superior was trying to get the other to acknowledge the long buried feelings.

"Let's just say that having someone to come home to every night has made me happy," Kisa said, before he stopped himself from going further. Murakami-senpai wasn't at his home, Kiiro-chan was. And while it was nice to have a pet, it was senpai who had made him happy, not the boy.

"I don't need someone to come home to every night, though," Onodera said as a flush graced his face and he made a quick look at their superior, who was gazing at them from behind a book.

Kisa wanted to giggle slightly. He knew that they lived right next door to one another. So, in a sense, Onodera did have someone he came home to every night.

"Kisa's right, Onodera-san," Mino chimed in. "If I didn't have my wife and kids waiting for me when I came home I'd be a little lonely."

Three pairs of eyes landed on Mino as he held up his cell phone to show everyone a picture of his wife and three children.

"I had no idea you had a family, Mino," Takano said with a look of mild bemusement on his face. "I guess that means that everyone here does have someone to come home to every night."

Onodera glared at Takano, making Kisa burst into a fit of giggles. Then the younger editor looked at Hatori.

"You have a family too, Hatori-san?"

The stoic man nodded. "I have someone whom I go home to every night. That person is a pain in my backside sometimes, but I wouldn't trade that in for anything."

Kisa glanced over at Ritsu with a smile on his face. He loved teasing the man. "Takano said that you had someone you can come home to, who is that Ri-chan?"

"I-I-I do _not_ have anyone I come home to. I go home alone, I come to work alone, I am alone," he seethed as he slammed his hands down on his desk in frustration.

"Now, now, don't lie Onodera. We all know you have someone you go home with," Takano said with a smirk.

Everyone nodded, and for a brief moment Kisa was able to forget that he'd been the one to bring about this topic. While Ri-chan exploded at their superior, Kisa started to think about what had made him say that it was because someone was at home waiting for him. It wasn't what he'd wanted to say, what he'd wanted to say was that he had someone who respected him and that he could trust. Even if that man had never been to his home, he'd been to that man's, and they had been intimate, at work no less.

No, it was definitely Murakami who was making Kisa-san happy, not Kiiro-chan.

After a few more times of repeating that in his head he received a text from the man in question. Senpai needed him to come to the Amethyst department for a quick meeting. Kisa actually hoped it was for another round.

He stood up and walked to the elevator, went down, and maneuvered himself through the maze of cubicles until he reached the Amethyst department. He nodded at his senpai and waited for the man to get off the phone.

"I'm glad you're punctual."

"Of course, Murakami-san. This is a place of business, after all." This earned him a nod.

"Kisa-san, I want to speak with you and Fukushima now about the story boards you've handed in," Murakami said seriously. Kisa could feel the butterflies in his stomach start to build up. He'd only handed them in the day prior, so he knew it wasn't about who was chosen yet, but that still didn't stop him from feeling nervous.

/GG/

Kisa was a little jittery when he arrived home that day. He'd found out that he and Fukushima would know the mangaka's decision within two days, which meant that by Thursday he'd know if he was going to be continuing with one of his series or not. The idea almost made him sick to his stomach, especially after everything he'd done in order to process that yuri series she created as well.

He walked into his apartment and saw Kiiro-chan sleeping on the sofa with a book of art lying over his chest. The sight was adorable and he went to cover the man with a blanket so he didn't get cold. Kisa could make out the rapid eye movements from beneath Kiiro-chan's eyelids as he leaned in and looked closely at the man.

This made him start to wonder who his pet really was. Obviously he wasn't a pet and his name couldn't possibly have been Kiiro-chan. In their time together he realized that while his pet knew everything about him, he knew almost nothing about the one who was sharing his house. Kisa made a mental note to start asking personal questions regarding the boy so he could learn more about him when he woke up.

/GG/

It didn't take long for Yukina to wake up after his nap. Once he'd returned home he found that his body didn't want to move. The stress of the art show and his hand had taken its toll on the man's body; so he was tired quite a bit.

He looked around the apartment and saw Kisa-san hunched over some storyboards at the coffee table. The man was deep in thought and looked utterly adorable. Yukina remembered the girls saying that men didn't like to be called adorable, so he settled for something else.

"You are so diligent, Kisa-san."

Kisa looked up and smiled. "Did you have a nice nap Kiiro-chan?"

Yukina nodded. "I am feeling better. Today was rather long."

"I saw you reading an art book; do you have an interest in art?" Kisa asked as he put his story boards away.

"I do, Kisa-san. In fact," Yukina stood up and handed out a flier to his art show in a few days, "would you go to this with me? I know the artist."

Kisa didn't quite know what to say. In truth he was flattered that his pet had invited him somewhere. And the fact that he'd all but told the guy his entire life story was enough to make him want to move ahead a few days so he could go and learn more about Kiiro-chan.

"Is this Yukina Kou any good?" Kisa asked as he hung the flier from the refrigerator door.

"Many people think he is. I know for a fact that he considers himself average, but he loves art, so he is willing to share his vision with the public."

This made the editor smile. He worked with art too, so it was something they could talk about now; a common ground. Kisa may not have been the manga artist, but he knew good drawings when he saw them.

"Then I will mark it in my calendar right now so I don't forget."

Kisa retrieved his phone and entered in the date and time of the art show. Their date was going to be a way to bring them closer together.

Wait, did he just say date? He had to keep it simple; the day with his pet is what it had to be.

He looked over at the man sitting on the sofa with a wide grin on his face and he felt himself get swept away by the sight. The man was a prince, and he hated that he could feel a magnetic pull between the two that shouldn't have been there.

"What else did you do today, Kiiro-chan?" Kisa asked, hoping to get his mind out of the gutter.

"I went to the bookstore to work," Yukina answered as he stretched, revealing his midriff to the other.

"Did you buy that art book there?"

Yukina shook his head. "I work at the bookstore part-time to help with my college expenses."

Kisa immediately felt like scum. He'd never bothered to ask Kiiro-chan about his private life and if the man worked or went to college. Apparently he wasn't the best owner. "I'm sorry I never bothered to ask that before."

"It's okay, Kisa-san. I am glad you want to know more about me." Yukina was actually rather excited that his master was taking an active interest in his personal life. It meant that his plan might work out.

He stood up from the sofa and stretched his arms before bending over and stretching his back. When he looked up he saw Kisa looking at him with a look he'd never given the man before. This was a look of want; desire. Yukina decided to put his plan into action a little earlier than he'd bargained for. If the older man was this way now there was no telling how long the feeling would last.

"Kisa-san, are you okay?" he asked as he took a few steps forward and put a hand to Kisa's forehead to feel if there was any sort of fever.

Kisa could feel his insides turn to scrambled eggs. In no way had he thought he'd come home and feel aroused by the sight of his pet treating him like that. It both thrilled and scared the shit out of him. He could feel his heart beating loudly in his chest as he looked up at the stern face of Kiiro-chan; looking at him like he was going to break into a million pieces.

"Kiiro-chan?" Kisa breathed when he could feel the other man's breath on the top of his head.

"Yes, Kisa-san?" Yukina asked in a husky voice. The need to take this man and make him his had overpowered his senses. He wasn't even in control anymore; he was on autopilot.

They stared at each other, hands touching and breathing becoming ragged. Kisa could feel the other's pulse on his fingertips and knew the boy was just as aroused as he was. Did that mean he wanted something to happen? Confusion swept through his mind as he tried to figure things out in the briefest of times, but he wasn't granted that luxury.

Yukina leaned forward and placed his forehead to Kisa's and could immediately feel the man's hot breath on his lips. The very air being displaced from Kisa-san's body and landing on his lips was the most titillating feeling he'd ever had in his life. His desire for the man had just reached its boiling point.

After a few brief moments of sizing each other up Kisa felt Kiiro-chan's lips meet his and he returned the kiss with fervor. It tasted wonderful; felt wonderful, to have the other's lips attacking his own. Kisa moaned and immediately felt a tongue press into his mouth and start to battle with his own. His mind started to tell him to stop, but his body had a mind of its own. He jumped and wrapped his legs around Kiiro-chan's waist and let the man carry him to the bed.

Yukina could feel himself becoming aroused within moments of Kisa-san's legs wrapping around his midsection. He barely made it to the bed before falling on top of the man and all but smothering him. Each kiss he gave felt right; nothing in his life had compared to the moment he'd started to feel his master's skin against his. It was an addiction and Yukina wanted more, so, he tore his shirt off, followed by Kisa's, and started up again, bare chest against bare chest.

Kisa wasn't one to lie back like a helpless virgin and let the other do all the work, so he started to unfasten both his and Yukina's pants using one hand while he held the other's neck in place. They used their legs to remove the lower garments and soon were both naked on the bed. It had reached the point of no return.

/GG/

For the second time that fiscal week, Kisa woke up in Yukina's arms. This time was a little different since they were both naked and hadn't just fallen asleep holding one another in an innocent manner. No, all innocence had been thrown out the window. That wasn't supposed to happen and it made him feel sick to his stomach that he'd taken advantage of a pet that way.

He scrambled from the bed and ran to the bathroom for a quick shower to wipe away the grime of sex. When Kiiro-chan woke up they'd need to set some new ground rules; number one being NO SEX. He was with Murakami-senpai and in one moment of weakness he'd become just as low as the man who had cheated on him all those months ago.

Kisa dry heaved a couple of times into the toilet, but when nothing came out he jumped back under the water and let the rain run down his body and onto the floor. He could see semen running down his leg and he reached toward his own cock and started to clean it off of the offending crusts that had formed from not cleaning up immediately after sex.

His mind wasn't thinking clearly and in the end he spent an hour in the shower; scrubbing. By the time he'd exited he was red and raw over most of his body, but his head had cleared a little. No sex was the first rule; the second rule was to not talk about the night because in his mind it never happened.

"Kisa-san," Yukina said in shock as he saw the other man come out of the bathroom with red blotches all over his skin. He knew he'd kissed the man everywhere, but those kisses shouldn't have left that type of impression.

He jumped out of bed and enveloped the older man into a hug only to be pushed away just as quickly as the hug had started.

"Kisa-san?" Yukina asked, hurt.

"Last night didn't happen and it will never happen again," Kisa deadpanned. "It was a mistake."

The words felt like a slap to the face and Yukina could feel tears burning in his eyes. "Wait, Kisa-san," he urged as he reached for the man again.

"I mean it, Kiiro-chan. You are a pet, and owners do not have that type of relationship with their pets."

A second slap to the face.  
"Wait, Kisa-san," Yukina pled as he grabbed the slighter man's shoulders. "I thought you could see me as a man, not as a pet. I love you Kisa-san and I want to be with you."

Kisa heard the confession but let it slide. He was with Murakami-senpai, not the pet pretending to be a man.

"I cannot be with a pet, Kiiro-chan. I am with a man already. The agreement was that you'd get to stay here as long as you were my pet." The words hurt as they rolled off his own tongue, but Kisa felt there was nothing else to say on the matter. He didn't even look into the other man's eyes to see the hurt those words were causing.

"Then don't look at me as a pet, Kisa-san. Look at me as a man. I'm not and never have been a pet; I am a man, just like you!"

Yukina started praying in his head that Kisa-san would hear his plea and come around.

Badump. His heart beat and he could hear it in his ears.

Badump. He was waiting for Kisa-san to say something; anything.

Badump. Yukina wanted Kisa-san to love him as much as he himself loved the man.

"Then get out," Kisa said dryly.

His heart stopped on a dime as he heard those emotionless words.

"But…" He could feel tears start to spill over and he used the back of his hand to wipe them away.

"I said," Kisa said blankly. "Get out."

"Kisa-san…" His heart still hadn't started up again and he could feel all the oxygen in his body disappear as all the noise in the world was replaced by those words.

"Get out of here!" Kisa shouted as he pushed the younger man out of the way. "Get out and don't ever come back!" he roared. "If you can't even follow some simple rules then…"

Kisa was cut off by a sharp slap to the face. Immediately his hand went to his smarting cheek and he glared at Kiiro-chan with murder in his eyes.

"I love you, Kisa-san," Yukina said calmly, a little too calmly. "I had hoped last night things would change between us. I'm not a pet," he explained. "I'm a man."

With those words he grabbed his bag, the only possessions that were in Kisa-san's house, and walked to the door. Kisa heard the door shut and stood like a statue; his hand still on his face. Less than five hours prior that cheek had been kissed and snuggled by the same man who had just slapped him. A tear slid down that smarting cheek and landed on his finger. He brought that finger to his mouth and tasted the salty tear.


	7. Don't Let it Go

Hello all! I wanted to thank everyone for the milestones that I hit with the last chapter. I hit thirty reviews, and went over that! The story also hit over 20,000 words, which is quite a bit for a continued story. I am glad people are enjoying my little bit of fun. It's been a blast to write.

This is the second to last chapter. I will probably post the last chapter on or around Christmas Eve, when I am back in my home town.

Thanks again to Risque Tendencies for making sure my grammar doesn't suck too bad.

/GG/

Just a Few Days

Don't Let it Go

Kisa Shouta woke up the next morning as if waking from a terrible dream. He'd had an awful day at work the day prior that had ended in him being sent home by his supervisor because of his temper that had flared. Kisa half expected to see Kiiro-chan at his house when he'd arrived home after the short day, so a smile was on his face when he burst through the door. The man wasn't there, though, and that thought made Kisa miserable.

Murakami-senpai had called numerous times, but each time Kisa had ignored the phone, preferring instead to sit on his sofa and watch whatever shows Kiiro-chan had been recording on the cable box. He couldn't really focus on anything because of his depression. He'd really fucked up this time.

Eventually Takano had paid him a visit and he'd admitted to the man what had happened and apologized for being cross at work. His superior admitted some things of his own and the two came to a mutual agreement. Takano wouldn't write up an insubordination report and Kisa would help Takano by talking him up to Onodera when necessary. Kisa was too distraught to not take the bribe.

When Murakami had shown up at the house, things had been weird. Sure, his senpai had tried, but Kisa just couldn't stop thinking about the fact that he'd kicked his pet out of his life. The sex wasn't going to happen because every time he looked at senpai, all he saw was Kiiro-chan.

The failed attempt at sex ended with Murakami saying they could go look for his pet together. Ken hadn't been aware of why Kisa had been so depressed until after their attempt and he'd even scolded the man for even considering sex when his pet was missing. This caused Kisa to not think for the second time and to send yet another man who was desperately in love with him packing without a second thought.

Kisa ended up in the bathroom, sobbing on the floor, while the shower sprayed him with water. When was he going to stop being such a fuck-up? It was a legitimate question that even he didn't have the answer to. So, in sadness, he crawled into bed and let a fitful sleep overtake him.

Then, he woke up.

He rubbed his eyes of the film and shot up as he looked over at Kiiro-chan's bed.

"Kiiro-chan!" he shouted when he saw a lump, smile on his face. The pile didn't move and he realized that the other man was indeed gone. He felt the sting of tears but forced them back. In no way was he going to let a simple pet control his life like that.

Instead he got out of bed and went about his morning routine.

First, he took a quick shower. Then he brushed his teeth and combed his hair. After his bathroom routine was finished he went to the kitchen to eat breakfast. When he sat down at his place and saw that Kiiro-chan's place was empty, a frown found its way onto his features. Kisa couldn't eat without the other man sitting across from him.

"What did you dream about last night, Kiiro-chan?" he asked the air that occupied his pet's place at the table. "Did you see anyone you knew or was it abstract like last time?"

He half expected it to be like in the movies, where the other would end up being in the room behind him and he wouldn't know until he spoke.

"I had an awful dream last night, but it made me realize that it's almost impossible to have a pet and master relationship. Why don't we try being roommates instead for a while?"

The idea didn't sit right with him, but he still hoped that Kiiro-chan was standing behind him to make the awful day prior disappear like smoke in the wind.

"Kiiro-chan, what's your real name?" he asked, softly. He looked over at the refrigerator and saw the paper for the art show. "I'll bet Yukina Kou knows your name, he's probably a much better person than I am too."

/GG/

Across the way, while Kisa was busy getting sent home from work, had stood one Yukina Kou, who was wearing a frown every bit as big as Kisa's. He was also in zombie mode for similar reasons, a fact for which his friends were starting to worry. He hadn't been sent home from school though because he knew he had an art show to set up for. So, instead of thinking much about it, he spent the time painting with his hurt hand.

Each stroke of the brush had brought back a memory of his when he was with Kisa-san. Most of the strokes reminded him of their intimate night, when he'd stroked the man and been stroked in return. Kou had never been with another man before, so it had been his elder who had taken the lead. Each time his brush touched the canvas, Yukina was reminded of Kisa's fingers or mouth stroking his cock. The feeling didn't make him hard like it normally would have though; it just caused him to tear up and work harder to get the painting done. He wanted it finished for the show, so he wrapped himself up in the work.

Rio had all but had a fit when she saw his sunken eyes and vacant expression. She'd tried to get him to stop painting and pay attention to her, but that didn't work. Instead he just worked harder to get the piece finished. Eventually she had left him to his own musings.

He wondered what Kisa-san was doing in that moment. Was he with Murakami having sex again, or was he working with a mangaka on the newest issue? Neither were what Yukina wanted Kisa to be doing. He wanted the man to be with him, talking to him, kissing him…making love with _him_.

Making love with Kisa-san brought forth more emotions that flowed into the painting like sand in an hourglass. He had to get the painting done. Nothing would keep him from finishing that painting because to him it was the only way he was ever going to be able to let Kisa-san go. There was no way the man would take him now. After what they'd done during the night, there was no way Yukina could ever take Kisa-san back as a master either.

"Yukina-kun?"

Only the sound of his professor could break him out of his focus the way it did.

"Yukina-kun, this is so different than what I am used to seeing from you," the older man said.

Kou could only nod as he continued brushing in a much less furious manner.

"I want you to take it easy though, Yukina-kun," the professor continued. "Your hand is only recently broken and you need it in the future. Don't overwork yourself today for the sake of the art show. There are more than enough pieces for you to display."

Yukina looked at his professor and saw Rio standing behind him with a dark glow about her. She obviously knew exactly what was bothering the young artist and had enlisted the help of the professor.

"I am not going to hurt myself any further, professor," Yukina promised. "But I really need to finish this to help myself heal." The last part was added with a tear falling from his eye and landing on his palette. He could see Rio seething and was instantly glad he'd never introduced his former master to her.

"Okay, Yukina-kun," the professor said in defeat. "I'll leave it to you to know what's good for you and what's not."

When the professor had walked off, Yukina could feel his friend's aura behind him.

"I will kill him," she hissed, softly.

"No, we will just pretend it never happened and I will go back to being just plain old Yukina Kou, art student." With these words, Yukina died, internally. He didn't want to go back to being who he was just a few days ago; he wanted to be with Kisa-san.

"You really did end up falling in love with him, didn't you?" Rio asked, sadly.

"Yeah, I let myself fall in love with someone beyond my reach," he admitted. "But I am not going to let that hold me back. I will think a little more on this subject when the show is over. Right now I just need to concentrate on painting and then I can work on Kisa-san."

With that the conversation was over and Yukina had gone back to his painting. He didn't leave that spot or his painting until the wee hours of Thursday morning, around the time Kisa had woken up. Both of their thoughts were on the other while one woke up and the other finally let himself go to sleep.

/GG/

Once he'd arrived at work, Kisa immediately apologized to his co-workers for his behavior and set to finishing his back-load from the day before. He'd have to spend the night glued to his desk just to finish what he needed to accomplish. Kisa was fully prepared to stay at his desk until every frame was corrected and sent off to whoever needed to see it. So far he'd piled up four different series, which meant he had his work cut out for him.

Kisa was a good worker though and for the bulk of the morning he didn't let his mind wander too far. He was too busy to think about much of anything else. Occasionally he'd think of Kiiro-chan, but reality would sink in and he'd get back to work.

Each page was taking about ten minutes, but then he'd go back over it after reading ahead to make sure the corrections meshed well together. There was no point in correcting something that needn't be corrected. Likewise, sometimes a correction needed to occur a few pages before in order to make a latter page make sense.

The job of an editor was not exactly an easy one; in fact it hadn't even been what Kisa had wanted to do with his life. Originally Kisa had wanted to work in the sales department, but when he'd attended university he'd found he was really good at correcting things. That didn't stop him from making a go at it, but the calling for pursuing a career in journalism so he could edit transcripts kept biting him in the ass.

Eventually he'd left the sales field and majored in journalism with a minor in Japanese. Thus, Kisa Shouta, editor had been born. Originally he'd wanted to work in the Shounen-ai Seinen department, Zircon. He'd figured that being gay would help him understand the readers better. That fact had been true, until he'd been denied the position of editor in chief of that department and sent to the shoujo department.

Now he got to spend time editing manga where teenage girls met with teenage boys, had innocent relationships, and never shared the good parts. At least not in his mind. He'd never once gotten a hard-on while reading his prior works from the Zircon department, but he sure as hell wasn't going to get them from the Emerald collection. The only good part about being in Emerald in that moment was that the princes in the shoujo department reminded him of Kiiro-chan.

Kiiro-chan had the perfect hair, perfect smile, and even radiated the heavenly lights from the sun and the sky. He was the perfect prince-type character for any of the giddy little school girls in his current group of manga. So charming, sweet, and kissable…

"Argh!" he shouted at himself as he stood up and slapped his face a few times to wake him up from the daydream that had just occurred. "Get the fuck out of my head at a time like this!" he looked down when he realized that he was getting hard from the image.

Then he saw that every one of his co-workers, along with everyone else on the floor, had looked at him like a spotlight had picked him out of a crowd. Immediately he turned pink and ducked his head in embarrassment. He looked at Takano for a moment and asked to be excused for a time. His superior nodded and Kisa hightailed it out of sight and ran to the bathroom.

Once inside he locked the door. Then he went to see if anyone was in the bathroom beside him. He was grateful that there was no one else or he'd have been even more embarrassed than he'd been when he ran from the Emerald cubicles.

Kisa walked to the sink and splashed cold water onto his face in droves. The water started to get his shirt wet and a vision of Kiiro-chan in the bathtub came to his mind. This caused him to get even harder than before and he realized that there was no way around it. He tried to think of something else, but nothing came to mind. The only person on his mind was his pet, no, the man who was pretending to be a pet.

With that thought in his mind, Kisa reached for his cock.

/GG/

After he came into the sink of the men's room Kisa cleaned himself up as well as the sink and went to unlock the door. Takano was leaning against the wall with a frown on his face.

"I take it your _pet_ hasn't come home and you are worried?" the man asked.

Kisa just nodded slightly and tried to walk back to his desk.

"I don't want to pull this on you because I can see how worked up you are, but if you keep losing focus and don't finish your work we're going to end up replacing you. I don't want to do that Kisa, but in all of your exploits I've never seen you lose focus. Pull yourself together and figure out a solution. You can't go on like this anymore."

Kisa nodded again. That was why this man was an editor-in-chief and he was not. Kisa would have a hard time all but telling someone they'd lose their job if they didn't buck up.

"Also, Murakami wants to see you when you're focused. You can go to him after you finish with the last edits for Yamada's chapters."

/GG/

Yukina finally woke up after a few hours sleep on the floor of the art studio. He'd slept there only a few times before, when it was necessary to be near his paintings. The floor was uncomfortable, but stable, so he knew he'd be safe. None of his things would be tampered with if he could hear someone rustling throughout the room.

What surprised him was that he hadn't been woken up by anyone else using the room. That was until he saw the sign, most likely hung by Rio, which told people to keep out. That girl really did care about him.

He shook his head and went to look at the final painting he'd created for the show. The piece was called _Burning_, and it showed a picture of the nighttime sky as seen from another vantage point, not on Earth. All of the stars were going supernova, which was how he felt when he'd heard Kisa-san's words those short hours ago. No less than a dozen stars were in the process of burning themselves and their surroundings into oblivion; much like his heart had exploded and burned his soul.

In truth, the painting was horrible, but it was also incredible at the same time. For a time he'd even wondered how he had been able to create such a piece. Most of his pieces depicted real life, not abstract thought. This one was definitely abstract and rather on the depressing side at that. If one were to look at it they could imagine twelve worlds full of people blinking out of existence at one time.

"How did you do this to me?" he mumbled to himself as he finished cleaning up and grabbing paintings to finish placing on the walls. "We've only known one another just a few days, yet I can't get you out of my head."

"Can't get who out of your head?"

Yukina turned to see his professor standing at the doorway to the studio. He didn't look cross or the like, just concerned.

"Sorry professor," Yukina said a little sharply. "I didn't know anyone else was in here."

"Yukina-kun, I can tell something's bothering you and I just wanted to make sure you were okay. It's a little selfish of me though because I want to know why you were able to complete this brilliant piece when you've got a broken wrist."

Yukina didn't know if he could answer that question truthfully. He knew exactly what had gotten into him and his name was Kisa Shouta, but did he really want to talk about that with his professor?

"I don't really want to discuss that with you, professor," he answered truthfully.

"I understand, Yukina-kun, but I have to say, if there's something in your life that helps you create such masterful pieces, you should keep it. It's not every day that a decent artist becomes brilliant overnight like you did. This piece," he said as he barely took a breath from his monologue, "is gorgeous and has so much emotion. I don't know where you found your muse, but since you've found it, don't let it go."

The professor's words hurt, almost as much as Kisa-san's had, but on a different level. How was he supposed to keep his muse if the man had thrown him out? He didn't want to aggravate the man anymore, but by running away he was being very unlike himself.

Yukina looked at the mirrors that lined parts of the walls in the studio. He could see himself, but he didn't recognize who it was looking at him. Then he realized the reason he was looking so pathetic was because he did run away without a fight. How could he give up on the man he loved? He'd been so excited to be with Kisa-san and he'd thrown it away because of a stupid reason. They needed to talk.

The art student looked at his watch and saw that it read just after three in the morning! He looked at his professor with shock in his eyes.

"Yes, I know it's really late, but I couldn't have you sleeping in here in the middle of the night when your show is less than ten hours away. Why don't you go freshen up a little and figure things out?"

He didn't know whether to thank his professor or not, so he just nodded and ran out of the building. He had no money for a cab and it would take him at least an hour to make it to Kisa-san's place. Yukina only hoped the man hadn't forgotten about him.

/GG/

Kisa was nervous. He knew what was coming and the fact that it was after three in the morning before he was able to go and find the answer made him that much more nervous. This was the decision that would tell him if he'd lost one of his six mangaka or if he had won the right to keep her. In truth he'd have pissed his pants if he'd had any liquid in his bladder at that moment.

What really surprised him was that when he finally did end up in front of Murakami he realized that he'd not once thought about the man that day. The only man in his head had been Kiiro-chan. He'd told his pet that he was with Murakami, but in truth, he'd been lying to himself. As much as his mind wanted his senpai, his body and heart wanted Kiiro-chan, and in that moment he knew it completely.

"Kisa, I am glad you're here. I have some news for you, but, first, can we talk somewhere?" The editor nodded and let Murakami direct him to a meeting room. "I wanted to ask you something, Kisa, but you have to be honest with me because it could affect a decision I have to make."

"Okay?" Kisa didn't know if he should be asking a question or not.

"I love you, Shouta, I have for years," Murakami admitted freely. "Back when we were interns I was so taken with you I almost ended up declining my overseas offer to have a go at you. Now, though, I have you, but it feels like I don't. I'm not sure what to think."

Kisa lowered his head in shame. No, his senpai didn't have him anymore. They had one magical time, but that was all it was going to be. He shook his head.

Murakami sighed in defeat. "I had a feeling you had someone else, but I was too afraid to admit it. I just hope you and Kiiro-chan are happy with one another."

This caused the other man's head to shoot up as he looked at the elder with wide eyes.

Murakami laughed. "I figured out that your pet was a human when I went to your house the other night. There was nothing in your house that indicated a pet, but there was a toothbrush in your bathroom that said Kiiro-chan on it."

Kisa blushed about ten shades of red at this bit of information and felt like crawling into a hole and dying.

"Don't feel bad. I'm just glad you know where your heart lies. I've been offered a promotion and am going to America to set up another sister company. Isaka-san has given me the opportunity to run his American branch."

The new information was an overload to Kisa's brain and he couldn't even begin to think.

"So, you're leaving?" he asked, quietly.

"I am. I guess if I can't have you then there's no point in my staying. I was going to see if you wanted to come with me, which was why I asked to come here for a short time. I never expected Isaka-san to offer me this promotion so quickly after taking over Amethyst though. It's a surprise."

He felt bad. His senpai had just admitted that the reason he'd returned to Japan was to try and be with him, and now he didn't want the man. Kisa felt like scum, something he was becoming rather familiar with as of late.

"I hope he makes you happy," Murakami said softly as he kissed the top of Kisa's head. "Oh, and with regards to your mangaka."


	8. As a Man

Hello all, and thank you for tuning in for the last chapter of this story. I am happy to give it as a Christmas Present rather than a Christmas Eve Present thanks to horrible airlines and their lovely delays, plus being rerouted to another State, etc.

Thanks to Risque Tendencies for glancing over the story to make sure it's got as much correct grammar/etc. as possible.

Cheers!

/GG/

Just a Few Days

As a Man

Kiiro-chan, or the artist formally known as Kiiro-chan, stood rooted at the door to Kisa-san's apartment for more than an hour, just hoping that with every knock the man would come to the door and let him in. Yukina cursed himself silently for leaving his key when he'd run out, because he could have just opened the door himself. All the boy wanted was to take the older man in his arms and lavish kisses all over his face, his neck, and other unmentionable regions of the body.

That wasn't going to happen though, and Yukina hung his head in sorrow when he realized that no one was coming to the door. Kisa-san was either deep in sleep, or maybe even with the man from work. The idea of Kisa-san, naked, with the other man sent chills down his spine and he took a deep breath before looking at the door one more time and walking away. He couldn't help himself looking back as he walked down the stairs and headed to the left. If he'd only just waited a few seconds longer before rounding the corner, he would have seen the object of his affection racing toward his home.

/GG/

Feeling slightly better after dosing himself with caffeine via a cup of coffee given to him by Rio, Yukina spent time interacting with the public who had come to see his art show. He couldn't help but smile when someone commented on his pieces and he'd already been offered money for various pieces, including his newest creation. For some reason he couldn't part with that piece, so he kindly told the patrons that the art was not for sale at that time.

The time was about nine in the morning, and even though he'd not had the best of weeks, he was putting on a show for everyone. Only his eyes betrayed his true feelings, but he kept them behind a pair of sunglasses he'd found. It was easy to fake a smile if your eyes were covered.

"Kou!" Rio shouted as she brought a few of her friends to see his work. "They wanted to congratulate you on a job well done. It's amazing that you were able to create such a piece with this broken bone in your arm."

Yukina smiled warmly at her and bowed slightly to her entourage. Each of them acknowledged the artist before walking off to study more of the paintings on display. Still, he felt as if a deep part of his soul was missing.

/GG/

The missing piece of Yukina's soul had woken up around the time the artist was fending off his newest creation from some rather relentless vultures. After he'd returned home, fully expecting to burst into the apartment and see Kiiro-chan sitting at the door, only to find the place devoid of life, Kisa could do nothing but fall onto his bed and let himself die a little.

Then, as if destined by fate, his phone went off to remind him he'd promised Kiiro-chan to go to an art show. Kisa looked at his phone with bleary eyes as he read the message to himself. _Art Show with Kiiro-chan. _The message blinked a few times on the screen and it caused the editor's heart to jump into his throat. In the time since the boy had left, he'd not known where to find him, but if he was friends with the artist it was very much possible that Kisa'd be able to find out where his pet was.

Not thinking, he jumped out of bed, still in his clothes from the prior day, and left the apartment in record time. The man couldn't even process how out of character he felt; chasing after someone wasn't how it went. Usually it was people chasing after him. Not this time though. He'd vowed to change if he had the chance to meet up with Kiiro-chan again.

Kisa thought back to his earlier confession.

_After seeing the apartment empty and dark, he fell to his knees and felt lonelier than he'd ever felt in his life. Each day Kiiro-chan was gone was like a piece of his soul had been wrenched off and tossed aside like a used tissue. _

_Mumbling to himself, since he was alone, he said softly, "If I ever have a chance to find him, I am going to tell him how I feel, no matter how embarrassing the confession is."_

His cell phone was the key to finding the man who had all but taken over his mind.

/GG/

"Yukina, this is Yamaguchi Karan, she's a big fan of yours," Rio said with a wink as she introduced her friend to the artist.

Kou instantly knew what the girl was attempting and he wanted to discourage her before she tried to bring over a man instead.

"It's nice to meet you, Yamaguchi-san," he said politely. "Did Rio tell you how my boyfriend inspired this newest piece?"

He could feel Rio seething behind him as he explained how his love for Kisa-san had helped to create such a vivid piece. Yukina went into detail on how the man was always on his mind and how each star represented his burning desire to be with him all the more. After a short speech, in which he was sure he was making it up, Yukina had even managed to convince himself that the painting was just as he had stated.

Once the girl had gotten enough about Yukina's love for the missing man, she wandered away with a nod and left Yukina to eye Rio.

"You don't have to try so hard, Rio. Just because I was with him just a few short days doesn't mean I am going to get over him any quicker if you try and hook me up," he stated dryly.

"I am just trying to give you some options. If she's not good enough, then why don't you try me again? I know we didn't work out a couple of years ago, but we've matured since then."

Kou sighed and tried to keep from rolling his eyes. He wasn't looking forward to turning her down while at his own show. It was neither the time nor the place to be asking him that question either. Had he known she was still _there_ with her feelings, he would have made it that much clearer when they'd broken it off.

Luckily for him, he was kind of saved by the bell, or, in this case, his professor who wanted to introduce him to someone as well.

"Yukina-kun," the professor spoke, beaming. "This is Jacob Alabaster from London. He would like to have a few of your paintings on display in his art show next year, if you're interested."

For a moment it seemed as if every molecule in the room stopped and there was no movement at all. Yukina could hear the words reverberating throughout his head, almost like an echo. Having some of his paintings on display in London had never occurred to him, but now that he was faced with the opportunity he didn't know how to react.

"There is a catch though, Yukina-kun, he wants your newest piece."

This time it felt as he'd been doused with ice cold water. The idea of letting that painting go both terrified and made him feel sick. It was almost as if the damn thing was the only piece of Kisa-san he'd had left. If he let it go, even for just a short amount of time, then it would have been as if all ties were permanently severed.

/GG/

He was fucking lost and it agitated him to no end. In the course of trying to find his way through the maze of buildings and hallways, Kisa ended up being approached by no less than two guys and three girls, all intent on getting his number. He shuddered to think of what the world was coming to when a thirty-odd year old man was being chased by kids. Then he all but slapped his face because said man was chasing after someone who could very well have been going to a school like the one he was trying to navigate.

"Fucking hell," he breathed as he looked at a university map.

In his hand he held the flyer for the art show. It clearly showed the directions to the correct building and the names of the buildings off to the sides. Unfortunately it didn't take into account that someone who wasn't really thinking clearly was attempting to understand what the hell the ruddy thing said. So, Kisa ended up staring at a huge map of the complex like some foreigner trying to figure out the subway system in Tokyo when they only spoke some exotic language like Kartuli*.

One would think the map was easy enough to read, but as he felt a little cloudy in the head, he decided to wander aimlessly until he found what he was looking for. There were quite a few students milling about, going to classes, or some such thing, so there had to be someone he could ask if it got too late.

In truth his stomach was all aflutter with nervous knots and his mind was racing. What if Kiiro-chan didn't want to see him? What if he'd moved on? What if…? Half a dozen other _what if_ questions were running through his brain as he continued walking and eventually ran into someone.

Kisa shook his head free of cobwebs and looked at the boy standing in front of him. He had sandy hair and grey colored eyes.

"Watch where you're going, old man!" the boy spit with a glare.

Immediately Kisa cringed as he let the boy stare him down. Was he really able to tell his age when most people couldn't?

"Sorry," Kisa mumbled before handing the boy the flyer. "I'm looking for this show, do you know where it is?"

The kid scowled and rolled his eyes, making Kisa wonder how someone so rude existed.

"It's over there, around the corner from the clock." The kid looked like he didn't want to be conversing with anyone.

"Thank you," Kisa said with a slight nod as he walked off. Someone needed to teach that brat some manners.

He almost laughed when he heard someone say, "You have great people skills, Shinobu-chin. Be nice to your elders."

Kisa then blocked out all sounds as he continued walking in the direction the kid had pointed him in. At some point he must have just walked by the building since he recognized it when he saw the color. It was hard to miss a bright red building with a multicolored statue in the front. He really must have been out of it to walk by the place and not even notice such a gaudy piece of art.

If there were butterflies in his stomach before, they had turned into birds the moment he set foot into the building. It was down to the wire at that point. Turning back was not allowed, nor would he have wanted to turn back if it meant he could find out where Kiiro-chan was.

Kisa walked up to someone with an official looking name tag. It read that he was a professor, so he assumed the man would at least know of the artist.

"Hello," he bowed with a slightly nervous hiccup. "I was wondering if you knew the artist. I would very much like to speak with him," he said, completely nervous.

The man smiled, "I've been Yukina-kun's advisor since he entered this institution. I'd be happy to point him out. Do you know him?"

Shouta shook his head. "We have a mutual friend that I'm hoping to meet up with, with this man here."

"Do you attend this university, too?" The professor was making small talk while he helped Kisa maneuver through the people.

"No, I'm an editor at Marukawa Publishing," Kisa said as he eyed the artwork. His eyes stopped on a painting that looked like it was right out of a science fiction convention. Kisa's brown eyes shot wide open as he gaped at the piece like a landed fish.

"This is his newest piece. He tells people it's the love in his heart for someone he cannot have," the professor offered, causing Kisa to blush.

"I've never seen anything like it before," he admitted. For all of his artistic knowledge in the manga field, this was the first time he'd seen anything so explosive. Each super nova seemed to jump out at him like a beacon. "It's beautiful…" he said softly, completely lost in thought.

/GG/

Kou excused himself for a moment using the excuse that he needed to think for a few moments before making a decision. This was accepted by the gallery owner and the artist took his leave. He started toward his newest painting and all but stopped in his tracks when he saw Kisa standing in front of said piece of artwork. Yukina didn't know whether to run and hug the man or call out to him.

Just his luck, he didn't have to.

"Yukina-kun," his advisor called. "This man would like to meet with you."

Kisa looked toward where the advisor was speaking and just about shit his trousers. Kiiro-chan was standing in front of him, wearing overalls that had paint splattered everywhere, and sunglasses on his face.

"Wait, this is the artist?" Kisa asked; a little gobsmacked.

"Yes, this is Yukina Kou. I'm sorry, we never exchanged names," the advisor stated with embarrassment.

Kisa nodded. "It's alright, I'm…"

"Kisa-san," Yukina said as he walked toward the two men. "This is Kisa-san, my muse for this painting."

Yukina's advisor's eyes went wide as he looked at the two men standing side by side in front of the painting. Yukina looked a little lost as his hand shook mere millimeters from the other man's. Said other man looked a little confused and slightly uncomfortable.

"Then I am glad to meet you," he boomed as he clapped Kisa on the back, sending him flying into Yukina's side. "Anyone who can light a fire under this boy's ass and get him to produce something like this is a good thing indeed."

Kisa didn't know how to react to the old fashioned use of language, so he just nodded his head in embarrassment. Kiiro-chan's real name was Yukina Kou and _HE_ was the artist he'd wanted Kisa to see. On one level he was flattered that the kid had been so enthused about bringing him. Contrary-wise, he was thoroughly embarrassed that he hadn't even had the knowledge to know the boy who had been living with him.

"I'll let you two talk for a while," the third wheel said as he slipped away, leaving Kisa and Yukina together.

Yukina looked down at the man he'd come to adore with wide eyes. He took off his glasses and stared the other's face for a few moments. The spark he knew had been created burned brightly in his eyes and his chest.

"Kisa-san, what are you doing here?" he asked softly.

Shouta didn't know how to respond, so he just said the first thing that came to his mind. "I had no idea you could paint, Kiiro-chan," he said, completely uncomfortable. "I guess it's not Kiiro-chan though, it's Yukina-kun."

Hearing the man use his real name and not the pet's name just about caused Yukina to grow wings and fly about the room like a maniac. It took a lot of energy not to sweep the guy off his feet and pull him into a bone-crushing hug.

"Yeah," he said shyly, rubbing his hand through his hair. "I'm attending university as an art major. This is my first showing."

"I had no idea how incredible you are, Ki…er…Yukina-kun," Kisa said.

"For you, Kisa-san, it's just Yukina. No honorific needed," he said and smiled when he saw the other blush. "What are you doing here though? I honestly never expected to see you. I went by your place early this morning and you weren't there."

Kisa looked up into Yukina's face, eyes ablaze. He'd missed the man coming by because he'd been at work.

"Actually, I had to work to catch up on all that I missed. I couldn't focus and then when I went to work I broke up with senpai. I even left a note on the other editor's desk that she could have him with my blessing," Kisa rambled. "But senpai told me I was chosen to keep my manga, and I was so excited I ran home to tell you, but you weren't there…" Kisa broke off, completely embarrassed and feeling very red. "I-I wanted to tell you," he looked up at Yukina's startled eyes at the admission.

Yukina didn't know how to respond. All that Kisa-san had just spit out came as a shock to him, but the fact that he was the one Kisa had wanted to tell made his heart soar.

"I'm sorry, Yukina," Kisa said with conviction. "I never…"

He didn't get the rest of the word out because Yukina had bent over and placed his lips to the editor's. Kisa was completely surprised and jumped back, fingers grazing where the other had left a bit of saliva on his lower lip.

"I love you, Kisa-san," Yukina said, a little louder than necessary since they'd started to gain attention from others in the room. "I know it's been just a few days, but I want to spend the rest of my days with you."

Shouta almost felt like dying on the spot. Here he'd come to apologize and the little brat had stolen his thunder.

"Yukina, not in front of all these people," he stammered, completely embarrassed.

"Yes, Kisa-san, in front of these people because I can't wait anymore," Yukina said passionately. "I want you, no one else. But I don't want you as a master anymore, I want you as a man."

Kisa could hear his heart beating in his ears and could feel sweat dripping down his back. He figured he owed it to the kid to take what was thrown at him for how he'd treated Yukina just a few days ago. It was the only way he could think to apologize.

Nodding slightly, he spoke, "I don't want a pet…I want you." It was said so low only the one standing in front of him could hear, but it was enough. Yukina pulled Kisa into a tight embrace and placed his lips atop the others again for a searing kiss that left both of them breathless.

Now, unlike in the movies, there was no clapping for the couple, just a few shocked exclamations about public displays of affection before a few of Yukina's friends made the crowds disperse. After Yukina finally let Shouta go, who couldn't really stand on his own at the moment, the gallery owner, Jacob Alabaster made his presence known again.

Yukina didn't even miss a beat.

"Mr. Alabaster, sir, you are more than welcome to this painting now. I have the real thing, so I don't need the painting anymore."

Kisa watched in awe as Yukina sold the painting to Alabaster and even shook an agreement that he'd give the man first pick of any new pieces for there on out. Eventually the editor got tired of the stares and walked out of the main room into the small studio where he looked at a few paintings that hadn't been hung for the show.

Eventually, he wasn't sure how long had passed, Yukina joined him in the room. It didn't take long for both their clothes to be shed and Kisa to be shoved up against the wall as Yukina rammed into him with all his strength. Various inappropriate phrases were used during that session and it ended with both sitting on the floor, covered in a shared blanket, sweat dripping off both brows.

"I'm sorry," Kisa finally managed to say, not nearly as embarrassed since they were alone.

"I know," Yukina answered, looking straight ahead.

"What can I do to make it up to you?"

Kou thought for a few moments before answering. "This isn't like the manga or anime that stems from them. I have no idea if there is a way to make up what had happened. I think it's best to start over again."

Yukina stood up, completely naked and half erect. "My name is Yukina Kou. I am a third-year art student at T-University. I have one brother. I was born in Northern Japan where I was raised by a mother and father," he leaned down and offered a hand to Kisa, who was in absolute shock at all the new information he was receiving. "And I am in love with Kisa Shouta. I probably have been since the moment I laid eyes on him."

The art student ducked his head and placed his hand over his mouth. "Wow; that was a little embarrassing."

Kisa couldn't help the smile that snaked onto his face, or the growing need he felt again at feeling the other's erection grazing his abdomen. He lowered his head and placed it against Yukina's sweaty chest. Immediately he felt the other's hands on his upper arms.

"We have a problem," he stated. "I..."

"It's okay," Yukina said with a lecherous grin. "I know just how to handle your problem, Kisa-san."

The end has become the beginning.

/GG/

Author's Note:

Thank you everyone for reading, responding, watching, and favoriting this little bit of craziness. I enjoy reading what others think, but even if someone doesn't respond I like seeing that people are hitting the chapters.

A special thanks to Risque Tendencies who painstakingly spends time correcting my horrible grammar and whatnot when writing. Funny enough, when I speak I am rather articulate; too bad I am bad at using the correct wording when typing.

*Kartuli is the language spoken in Republic of Georgia. I spent some time there as a volunteer English teacher and have learned enough to tell people that I am tired, hungry, and order food/drink.


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